Tainted Hearts
by seeun402
Summary: Casey Martin is a seventeen year old who attends Barker High School, a military school. She has issues with most of the students and is usually to herself, that is until she meets Duo Maxwell. Conflicts arise between her and what to her in her past. An enemy emerges and plans to destroy the Earth and start another war, and Casey is in the mix.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N:_ So starts the first chapter of my very first Gundam Story. I would like to thank my very good friend, Halogazer, for beta reading this story. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter One

After Colony 197. It had been a year since the fight with Mariemaia. The Earth and the colonies were once again at peace. The people from both sides returned to their daily lives. As for the five Gundam pilots, they settled down at their new jobs, trying to once again live a semi-normal life. One pilot was up early, getting ready for the new day.

Light shone through the gray curtains of the small bedroom. He made his way toward the full-length mirror that leaned against the wall. His long brown hair was done in its signature braid. He grabbed a white button-down shirt that was hanging from a hanger. After buttoning himself up, he took the black vest and slid it on. With black slacks, shoes, and a magenta tie to complete the ensemble, he was ready. He examined himself in the mirror. He looked like a normal student, ready for school. He chuckled with a glint in his eye. He cleaned up well.

A girl with short black hair and long bangs entered the room. She was holding a clipboard in her left hand. She jotted some items down on a white sheet of paper.

"Duo, are these the right items that I should be looking for?" she asked as she looked over the list. Half of the items she never even heard of.

Duo walked over and examined the list. "You got it, Hilde. Good job."

She looked up and noticed his attire. "Well, look at you all snazzy in that uniform." Duo did a spin and winked. "Now, are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Duo nodded firmly. "I want to do something different, you know? I'm tired of the same thing day after day. Now that we have some peace, I can do other things. Besides, I actually liked attending school back when Heero and I would go undercover."

The school that he was attending was Baker High, a school whose curriculum was designed specifically for students of military parents. However, there were some teenagers that were once soldiers themselves. When the war with OZ happened, many of the students left to fight. For the ones that returned to continue their educations, they were able to take a series of tests in order to graduate. All in all, it was a perfect school for someone like Duo Maxwell.

Hilde smiled and playfully punched Duo in the arm. "Just stay out of trouble. I don't want the principal calling me over something stupid."

"I ain't promising a thing," Duo smiled. He grabbed his backpack and waved to his friend before making his way out of the room. A new adventure was about to begin.

* * *

An alarm clock blared loudly. The high-pitch screech bounced off the walls. A hand slammed down on top of the clock, shutting off the annoying beeping. A figure rose from a sea of red covers, her red hair disheveled. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the time. The clock read that it was six-thirty in red numbers. With a groan of annoyance, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood up and stretched. She shuffled over to her closet and got out her magenta uniform. Still half-asleep, she buttoned the last button on her white shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror that hung above her dresser. She smoothed her skirt and put on the coat that went with the uniform. After brushing her shoulder-length hair, she grabbed her black backpack and swung it over her shoulder.

Mornings. How she detested them. If it were up to her, school wouldn't start until later in the day. She headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Casey. I hope you slept well," said a man who was pouring coffee into a mug. He was a slim man, with gray hair, blue eyes, and in his early sixties. Alfred was the butler of the house. He prepared the meals, did the errands, and made sure that the house was in order. He was also a close friend to Casey." Morning, Alfred," Casey greeted as she grabbed a piece of bacon. She took the cup of orange juice that was on the table and drank it in one gulp. "I slept okay. I kept tossing and turning." She rubbed the sleep from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm afraid that Owen isn't going to be home until later on tonight," he said as he handed Casey her lunch bag.

"I kind of figured that. If I recall, he did say something about a meeting," Casey replied.

Owen was the owner of the house that she was staying in. He was chief of security. He was hardly home, so she was used to not seeing him for days on end. She grabbed a slice of toast with jam and bid Alfred farewell.

* * *

Casey walked down the sidewalk to school. Looking up at the sky, she could see the clouds that hovered over her. They were like fluffy white pillows. They reminded her of how tired she still was. She looked at the vibrant green grass as it danced in the wind. She sighed and stopped in her tracks, suddenly feeling down. She was born on Earth, but came to the L2 colony when she was just a baby. During the war of After Colony 195, she went back down to Earth. The genuine air when it blew through her hair, the soft blades of grass beneath her bare feet: Everything was real on Earth. On the colony, everything seemed artificial. That didn't change the way that she felt about her home. It was peaceful on the colony.

She jumped a bit when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder and saw a girl with medium-length light brown hair and soft green eyes.

"You startled me, Amanda," Casey said as she turned around.

Amanda playfully pointed a finger at her friend. "You, missy, were supposed to meet me at my house this morning. When you didn't show, I figured you might have forgotten. I was right. I caught you daydreaming in the middle of the sidewalk."

"I'm sorry," Casey apologized. "I guess I got side-tracked."

"Yeah, that can happen from time to time," Amanda sighed with a knowing smile.

Casey knew Amanda since they were kids. They separated when Casey moved back down to Earth. When she returned to the L2 colony, her father had been killed during the war and Owen offered to take her in. The Casey that Amanda knew years ago had vanished. She had changed. Her friend had issues with soldiers, which was hard considering that she went to a military school. But the one thing she hated the most were the mobile suits known as Gundams. A Gundam destroyed the colony that her father was on. Amanda knew better than to bring up the mobile suits.

"Hey," Casey said as the two walked down the sidewalk, side by side. "Where's Benjamin? Shouldn't he be here, too?"

"He had to go in early for a test," Amanda replied.

"What kind of test?"

"I'm… not really sure," Amanda lied. It was hard enough to get Casey to accept his friendship. She met Ben when she returned. After meeting up with Amanda again, he was introduced as her boyfriend. Casey was on guard at first, but as the months went on, she started to relax in front of him.

Casey smiled warmly at Amanda and slung an arm around her friend. "Want to go get some ice cream after school? I've been craving cookie dough all week."

Amanda laughed. "Well, of course. You know I don't miss the opportunity for ice cream!"

* * *

The two of them arrived at the school and immediately headed toward the long blue lockers. Some ex-soldiers waved to the girls in the hallway. Amanda smiled and waved back. She glanced at Casey who just ignored them.

"Hey, guys."

A tall young man with short black hair and blue eyes appeared. He hugged Amanda from behind and planted a kiss on her cheek. The young woman giggled as she placed her books into her locker.

Casey looked at the couple beside her. "Benjamin."

"When you are going to stop calling me by my full name?" he asked.

Casey ignored the question.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "You need a man."

Casey waved her hand, dismissing the topic. "I don't need any distractions."

"What distractions?" Amanda pouted as she closed her locker. "I just think it will… help boost your mood."

Casey shook her head as the trio moved to their first class, which was history. The red-head took a seat at the back of the class. She rested her head in the palm of her hand, and looked out the window. It was going to be just another day of school.

Their teacher entered the noisy room and cleared his throat. He stood in front of the class.

"Class, listen up," he said in a monotone voice. "We have a new student that will be joining us." Murmurs were heard throughout the room. Out of curiosity, Casey turned her head to the front of the room. A young man entered the room with a wide grin on his face. She noticed the long braid that went down his back. "This is Duo Maxwell. He is an ex-soldier that fought during the last war. He is looking to continue his studies with us. Please make him feel welcome."

"Hello, everybody," Duo greeted cheerfully with a wave.

Casey rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the window. Great. There was a new person to annoy her. Didn't the school have a cut-off point or something?

The teacher looked around the room and then pointed his finger toward the back. "There is an empty seat by Amanda."

"You got it, teach," Duo smiled and headed toward the empty desk. He sat down and looked at his neighbor. "Duo Maxwell." He held his hand out.

"Amanda Lane," she introduced and shook his hand. She glanced over at Casey who was scowling. A sad smile formed across her lips. This wasn't going to get any better with her friend.

Physical Education was fifth period. Students gathered around their teacher to find out what today's activity was going to be. To Duo's excitement, it was basketball. The class was divided into two teams. Once the game commenced, yelling and laughter could be heard throughout the gymnasium. Duo managed to get a slam dunk, which impressed a lot of the girls in the class. He grinned and noticed that a certain red-head wasn't participating. She was sitting off to the side on the wooden bleachers. He couldn't tell if she was bored or annoyed.

"Hey, Amanda," he said as he walked up to his new friend. Amanda passed the ball to another classmate before giving him her undivided attention. "What's going on with the red-head on the bleachers? You know her, yes?"

Amanda looked over at Casey. She simply shook her head and sighed. "Yes. She's my best friend. Her name's Casey. She doesn't usually sit out during this class." She gave her head another shake "I don't really know what is going on with her today." Of course she didn't tell Duo the real reason. Casey was most likely pissed off that another soldier transferred into the school. She just wished her friend would just get over it.

"I see," he said. The ball was passed to him. After taking one last glance over at the bleachers, he continued the game.

During lunch, Amanda invited Duo to sit with her, Ben, and Casey at their table. They usually took the table near the vending machines. With a look of disapproval, Casey sat down. A big smile was displayed on Duo's face as he greeted everyone.

"The name's Benjamin Ferrari," Ben said as he stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Duo took the hand with a solid handshake. "Name's Duo Maxwell." He took a seat next to Ben.

"So you were a soldier in the war?" Ben asked as he unwrapped his salami sandwich. "Where were you stationed?"

Duo paused. He looked at his pasta in careful thought. "I was… on Earth. I was constantly moving around, you know? Sometimes it was hard to figure out where I was."

"Sounds interesting," Ben said before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

The red-head huffed in annoyance at the conversation. Amanda leaned in and told her friend to try and relax. They were just talking.

"Why did you invite him to join us?" Casey whispered, glaring at the brunette.

Amanda sighed. "He still doesn't know anyone in the school, yet. He only knows me because of our first class. I wanted to be nice."

Not buying the excuse, Casey took a huge bite of her sandwich.

Duo looked at the two girls and smiled. "Hi. My name is Duo Maxwell," he said to Casey.

"I know who you are," Casey said bluntly.

"But I don't know who you are," he smiled.

"Casey Martin," she said in a low voice. She was getting irritated that he was even talking to her.

He winked at her. "It's a pleasure."

A shade of light pink appeared on Casey's cheeks. She quickly packed up her lunch and excused herself from the table.

Amanda watched as her friend left the room and sighed. "I'm really sorry, Duo."

He waved his hand in the air. "Don't be. I actually know someone with the same personality."

* * *

A young man with short, messy, brown hair stood in the shadows of an auditorium. He was clad in simple blue jeans and a white tee. An olive-green jacket hung over his folded arms. He was Heero Yuy, one of the five young Gundam pilots. He listened while Relena Darlian, formally known as Relena Peacecraft, made her speech on how they can improve the peace. Ever since the war with Mariemaia, the citizens of the colonies had been more vocal on certain subjects. This was a good start for everyone. The people needed to be heard in order for democracy to work, which was what Relena was pushing for.

Heero turned his head when he heard footsteps coming his way. Lista, a slim young woman with long raven-black hair and green eyes, stood next to him. She was clad in the same jacket that he was holding.

"You know, you don't always have to be hiding in the shadows," she smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Heero returned his attention to the young woman at the podium. "It's better this way. She can go on doing her thing and not have to worry. Besides, she knows I'm nearby."

The smile didn't leave Lista's lips. "I talked to Duo a few days ago. He told me that he was going back to school."

"Waste of time," Heero replied in a monotone voice.

Lista shrugged. "I don't know about that. There is peace in the world for the time being," she said nonchalantly. "I don't see why it's wrong going back and continuing your studies. Even I was considering going to cooking school."

Heero didn't say anything and just watched as the audience stood up for applause.

* * *

The last school bell rang an hour ago. Most of the students went home for the day. However, Duo was stuck in the library, trying to do some catch-up work for his classes. The braided soldier didn't mind school; it was just the catching up part that was tedious. After a long stretch and a deep breath, he packed his books into his bag. He exited the library and headed down the deserted hall.

The school was kind of creepy when there weren't any students hustling about. He stopped in his tracks when he heard yelling coming from one of the stopped at the gymnasium and found Casey punching the air and doing some round kicks. Not saying a word, he stayed hidden and watched her out of curiosity. He never would have expected her to be good in martial arts.

She settled down, panting heavily while wiping her brow. A good workout was what she needed to let out all of her frustrations. Catching her breath, she closed her eyes. Duo walked as quietly as he could into the room, trying not to startle her. However, his foot squeaked against the waxed wooden floor. Casey shot up from the floor so fast that by the time Duo lifted his head, she was standing in front of him with her fists out.

Duo held both of his hands up in defense. "Whoa. I didn't mean to startle you." Casey glared at him for a few seconds before turning her back on him. He lowered his hands and sighed in relief. "I stayed late in the library. I was catching up on some of the work. I didn't expect anyone to be here." He looked at the back of her head. "Why are you here?"

"I train after school because the gym is big enough," she simply said. "The security guard knows me, so he lets me stay a little bit longer." Taking the fluffy white towel, she patted her face dry. She stared at the towel for a bit in thought. "I studied martial arts since I was little. Getting rusty on my skills is not an option in my book. So I make sure I train as much as possible. It doesn't matter if I am getting older."

Duo leaned up against the wall with his hands in his pant pockets. "You seem to be a strong, determined person. I like that." Casey turned her head and looked at him warily. She scoffed and started to gather her things into her bag. "Amanda is an awesome person. It's been a long time since I made any new friends." Casey sighed, knowing full well that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. "Let's introduce ourselves properly this time." He held out his hand. "I'm Duo Maxwell."

Casey rolled her eyes and looked at the waiting hand to her right. "My name is Casey Martin," she said and took his hand in a handshake, hoping that it would satisfy him.

The braided pilot grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Case."

Before he could blink, Casey slammed her left fist against the wall that he was leaning against. The fist was just inches from his right ear.

She glared hard at him. "Don't you _ever_ call me that again," she hissed. After removing her fist from the wall, she picked up her bag and walked out of the room.

Duo stood where he was for a moment, almost in shock, and then chuckled. "She's a tough one," he said to himself. "Have to make a note on that." Slinging his backpack over one shoulder, he followed suit, heading home for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Faint clicking could be heard from within an office. The office door was ajar. The room was medium-sized with cream-colored walls and polished wooden flooring. An oak desk sat toward the back. A large beige accent rug lay beneath it. Two tall dark bookcases were filled with different kinds of books to the left of the entrance. On the surface of the desk were papers stacked in two neat piles. A small framed picture of a couple stood by a small lamp. A young man with short platinum blonde hair was jotting down some numbers in a book. His blue eyes scanned the screen in front of him. A quiet beeping noise emanated from the computer. On the upper right hand corner of the computer screen was an icon that flashed, indicating that he had an incoming call. He clicked on the green phone icon.

Duo's face appeared on the screen. "Hey, Quatre, ol' buddy," he greeted with a wide smile.

"Duo! What a pleasant surprise!" Quatre exclaimed with a smile of his own. "How are things back on the colony?"

"I enrolled into Baker High School," Duo explained. Quatre looked at him with surprise and then smiled at the news. He never would have taken Duo as someone who was studious.

"That's good that you are continuing with your education," Quatre said.

"Heh. I'm trying out the 'normal' lifestyle," Duo said. "I told Lissy about it and she just laughed. She told me to go for it, though."

"I see," Quatre smiled with a nod. He wondered why Lista hadn't told him about Duo. She must have forgotten.

"How goes it with you?" Duo asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Quatre replied. "I was just going over the investments of the company when you called. Everything seems to be going well."

"I'm glad to hear it, buddy," Duo smiled.

"Did you making any new friends there?" Quatre asked.

"There's this girl named Amanda and her boyfriend Ben. They have been including me in their little group. But there is this one girl named Casey. She has a fiery spirit but has a distant personality. She actually almost punched me in the face," Duo explained.

"It seems like she doesn't really like you," Quatre frowned. Duo shook his head and sighed.

"It would seem that way. She's stubborn, and she isn't too keen with a couple of her classmates. Actually, make that majority of the school," Duo thought for a second. "However, when she's with her friend Amanda and a few other girls, she lightens up. She's always uptight for some odd reason, as if she's on the defense."

"I see. Well, she did talk to you for a little bit before almost giving you a black eye," Quatre mentioned with a small smile. "Just don't go annoying her, okay? You are at that school to learn."

"Yes, Dad," Duo said sarcastically. "Look at it this way. I made friends with Heero. They both have the same attitude, and he hasn't killed me yet."

"It's a wonder how you did it," Quatre smiled. "Well, I'm just glad you are doing well. Please keep me posted on what is happening, okay? I miss talking with all of you."

"Will do, buddy. I'll catch you later." Duo grinned and disappeared from the screen.

The Sandrock pilot sat back in his chair, a big smile spread across his face. After all the years in battle, it was nice to return to a normal lifestyle. He felt a gentle touch on both his shoulders. A content sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at the beautiful ebony-haired woman standing behind him.

"He seems to be doing well," Lista commented. "I kind of overheard your conversation."

A smirk formed across the Gundam pilot's lips. "Eavesdropping, are we?" Lista gave an innocent look before kissing the side of his mouth. "He likes the school life and even made some new friends."

"You mean that girl that almost punched him?" Lista inquired with a raised brow.

Quatre chuckled. "Leave it to Duo to meet people with difficult personalities."

"He is a people person," Lista stated with a serene smile.

Quatre got up from his seat and embraced Lista. "I do hope that he stays out of trouble. He doesn't know when to draw the line." The two of them chuckled and exited the office.

* * *

Duo was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a chapter from his history textbook. He found some of the materials fascinating. With a clunk, a steaming plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn was in front of him. He grinned at the meal and looked up at Hilde. He thanked her while saving his spot in the book, closing it afterward. He grabbed his fork and dug into the food.

Hilde took the thick book into her hands and looked at the cover. "How the Colonies first started, huh? So how was your first day? I didn't see you last night to ask."

Duo swallowed what was in his mouth. "It was good. I had to stay late to catch up on some school work. I did make some new friends, though."

"Of course you did. You always make friends no matter where you go," she commented. "It's part of your charm."

Duo chuckled. It was true to some degree. "Well, there is this one girl, though. Her name is Casey, and she's the one person who didn't seem too thrilled with my presence." He took another bite of his chicken. "I kind of made her mad by calling her 'Case.'"

Hilde took a seat next to him. "Maybe there is a reason why she doesn't like being called that? Or it could be that she is just a total bitch."

Laughter erupted from Duo as he took a swig of his water. "Nah. I think there's something more to her than she lets on. Her friend Amanda mentioned that they've been friends since they were kids. Maybe I'll ask her. I don't like knocking people out before I really get to know them."

"Of course not," Hilde smiled. "That's just who you are."

"And don't you forget it," Duo winked. He finished off his plate of food and got up to take it to the sink. Hilde always knew how to cook a mean meal. "Did you manage to get the parts on the list?"

Hilde shook her head. "I'm afraid not. There is this one part that _no one_ seems to have. I might have to look on a different sector for it."

"I see. Well, don't go too crazy about it. If we got the rest, we can make do."

"You got it, boss," Hilde said. She got up from her seat and patted Duo on the shoulder before exiting the kitchen.

After finishing up the dishes, he walked back to the table and picked up his textbook. "Just a few more pages," he said to himself as he continued with his reading.

* * *

The next morning brought sunshine. Students were by their lockers conversing with one another. Casey lazily placed her books into her locker. There were dark bags that hung from under her eyes. She hardly got any sleep the night before. For some odd reason, her mind kept racing. When she did manage to fall asleep, the same nightmare appeared. Ever since her father's death, a certain nightmare would appear where she watched her father get destroyed by a Gundam. It had been months since she had it. Why now all of a sudden? She rubbed her right eye with the back of her hand. She just wanted to get back into her bed.

Amanda and Ben happily approached the tired red-head. The brunette noticed her friend's tired state. "Are you alright?" Casey nodded and smiled. The smile quickly vanished when she saw Duo heading toward them. She closed her locker and bid her friends goodbye before walking off.

"W-What just happened?" Amanda asked, dumbfounded as she watched Casey move through the sea of people. She looked to her right and saw Duo standing next to her. "Oh…"

"She left in a hurry," Duo commented with a frown. He heard Amanda sigh next to him. "What's her deal, anyway?"

Ben looked at his phone and kissed Amanda on the cheek. "I have class soon. I'll catch you guys later." He waved to the two of them before heading off down the hall.

The two waved to him before looking at their own phones. Luckily for them, they had study period together, which meant the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.

The lunch room was where the morning study periods were held. Of course, most of the students didn't do their work. As long as there wasn't a commotion, the teacher didn't care what they did. The two friends sat across from each other at one of the tables.

"My father was a soldier for OZ. He actually knew how to pilot those machines," Amanda began. "Unfortunately, he was killed during battle. Some official came to our house to tell us. My mother hasn't really moved on. It's just me and her now. I try to be a stable rock for her to lean on when I can. She knew my father had to do what he had to do. We both supported him."

Duo had a sullen look on his face. Was her father killed by one of them? He knew chances like this were going to happen after the war. It just royally sucked.

Amanda noticed Duo's expression. "Hey, don't worry about it. We are getting by just fine. War is something that was never pleasant." She smiled at him. "What about you? What did you do for the military?"

The pilot swallowed hard before answering. His heart started to beat fast and his palms started to sweat. He couldn't lie to her. There was a good chance that he was the one who killed her father during the war. "I was one of the Gundam pilots," he whispered. Amanda just stared at him as he continued with his story. "I was an orphan that was part of a gang. That's where I got the name 'Duo' from. Well, we were brought in by the Maxwell Church. My gang mates all got adopted, except for me. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen ended up adopting me." He took his long braid into his hand. "I got this braid because of her. I never once cut it."

He cleared his throat. "Rebels came to the church for shelter. I didn't want them there so I made a deal with them. If I stole a mobile suit, they would have to leave. Well, I kept my end of the bargain, but by the time I got back, the church was destroyed. Father Maxwell was dead, and Sister Helen… she died in my arms. My surname is from them."

"Duo… I'm so sorry…" Amanda said, her eyes shimmering with tears. She never would have guessed. He had such a happy-go-lucky demeanor.

Duo smiled slightly. "Fast forward a bit in time. I stowed away on a spaceship. I got caught, and that's when I joined the team. I became a Gundam pilot. I was against the operation that was taking place. We all fought and made horrible mistakes. It took us some time to figure out what was right. I'm sorry, Amanda. There could have been a chance that one of us killed your father in battle." He let out a sigh. The heaviness that he felt seemed to lift a bit.

Amanda reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," she smiled. "Thank you for telling me the truth. It appeared that my father was on the wrong side. It's no one's fault. I don't blame you, Duo."

Duo's mouth was almost hanging open. "I can't believe you are this chill. I was afraid that you would lose it on me or something."

A chuckle erupted from within her chest. "I guess I haven't snapped yet. There is a reason why I'm a stable rock for my mother. I try to see things differently in this messed up world of ours."

Duo smiled genuinely at the young woman across from him. He then cleared his throat once more. "You said that you and Casey were friends since you were little. What can you tell me about her? I don't think she's as bad as she seems. There must be something more to her."

Amanda nodded. "You are right. She's not as much of a bitch as she lets on." A thoughtful expression formed on her features. "Let me see. Casey was usually a happy person back in the day. She did have that fiery spirit, and she was a tough nut to crack. Even so, she was friendly to the people around her. Then she moved down to Earth with her father. He was also a soldier for OZ, a new recruit. During that time, I didn't hear from her. After the war was over, she returned to the colony. It was like a totally different person showed up. She returned to school, but she was cold and distant. Not to me, but with other people. We still had a bond with each other after all the years of being separated. The happy girl that I once knew ceased to exist. Any student who was a soldier she would dismiss completely. She hated them."

The brunette looked up at Duo with a serious look on her face. "I found out, though, that Casey's father was killed while trying to protect a colony. A Gundam destroyed that colony, along with her father." Duo's eyes widened and he felt his stomach drop. "She told me that she was staying with her father's friend."

It was all slowly coming together. No wonder Casey disliked Duo. He was a soldier of a past war, a war that her father was in. He looked at the surface of the table with a solemn look.

"Mind you, I don't know what happened on Earth," Amanda continued softly. "I've asked her, and she has told me some things. I just have a feeling that she hasn't told me the whole story. I just don't question it anymore. But I wouldn't tell her about your past as a Gundam pilot. Not yet at least."

"Yeah," Duo agreed with a firm nod. That would be the last thing he would do, if ever.

Amanda smiled at him. "You aren't a bad person. If Casey is willing to talk to you, then that's a start. She hasn't been that open to anyone for a while. You're also a fun guy. If she hangs around you more, maybe she'll lighten up more. It doesn't hurt to try."

"Maybe it's because I'm persistent?" Duo asked with a chuckle. "I told my buddy that she has the same personality as a comrade of ours. He still hasn't killed me yet."

"Then there is hope," Amanda grinned. The grin then faded, and she looked at him sadly. "Duo, I want the old Casey back. I want my old friend back. Maybe you can help me? Have her see that not all soldiers are bad. that everyone is struggling from the war. From what you have told me, you seem to have a knack for befriending difficult people."

"I guess I do. Call it a gift or a curse," Duo smirked. "All right. I'll help you out. You were the first friend I made at this school, after all. The least thing I could do is offer my assistance in getting your old friend back."

"Thank you, Duo," Amanda smiled warmly.

"Don't mention it. Besides, there isn't a battle out there right now. I might as well make things interesting here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It was a rough couple of days at school. Casey kept dozing off during her classes. One of those classes had a test. Luckily for her, she was able to get through it with ease. She was able to rest her head down on the surface of the desk for the remainder of the class. Besides her lack of sleep, her thoughts were all over the place. She didn't even notice that Duo was watching her during those periods of dozing off. In all honesty, she was way too tired to care what was going on around her.

When she got home the day before, Alfred told her that Owen wasn't going to be home for a few days. He had a special mission that he had to take part in down on Earth. That didn't surprise her. Being the head chief took most of his time away from home. It was a good thing he didn't have an actual family or else they would never see him.

Of course, she shook that off as soon as possible. She didn't really care that she hardly saw the man. She was just grateful that she had a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in. Owen wasn't her adopted father. He was just a close friend of her father's that took her in because she had nowhere else to go. It was that simple. To be honest, Alfred was more like a father figure to her than Owen was. The older man always tried to make sure that Casey felt at home. If she was down, he was there to lend an ear.

Her father told her that her mother was on a different colony sector. She hadn't seen the woman since she was little. That was when she walked out on them both. Her father was devastated, but he tried his best to bring Casey up. That was part of the reason why he joined the military. He thought that they would be set for life.

As much as she hated it, she tried to keep up to date with the current events that had been happening in both worlds. There was never anything too major other than the usual crime here and there on the colony. There were new colonies that were being developed, as well. Things were finally at peace. It was said that the young woman known as Relena Darlian, daughter of the Peacecraft family, was the reason for the peace. She was doing her best to ensure that it stayed that way.

The last bell chimed at last, indicating that the school day was finally over. The red-head dragged her body to her locker, where she collected her stuff for that night's homework assignments. Amanda walked up to her friend with a smile on her face.

"Ben and I are going out later to eat. There's this new taco place that people have been raving about. Why don't you join us?" the brunette asked cheerfully. "I know how much you love tacos."

Casey shook her head. "Sorry. I have things that need to get done. Maybe some other time. You two have fun." She gave Amanda a small smile.

"All right," Amanda frowned. "But try to get some rest, too. I can see that you haven't been sleeping well."

Casey rubbed her eyes. "Is it that obvious?" The brunette nodded her head. Casey placed her head on the closed locker door. Amanda patted Casey on the back before saying goodbye and heading off. Casey rubbed the back of her neck before grabbing her things. Sleeping on a desk was not helping with her posture. She contemplated on just heading home, but shook that thought out of her head. She walked down the hallway, ignoring the bodies that passed her. She stopped at the entrance to the empty gymnasium, looked around, then advanced into the spacious room. After setting her bag down on the polished wooden floor, she took a seat on the folded blue gym mats. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure that she could train in the state she was in. She relaxed on the mats and closed her eyes, listening to the noise of chatter and laughter out in the hallway.

* * *

Darkness engulfed her. She was standing in an enormous space. It was dark, but not pitch-black where she couldn't see her hands in front of her. Was there a light source somewhere? She walked slowly throughout the area, her nerves at attention. It was quiet, too quiet for comfort. Why was she there? She stopped when she saw a tall shadowed figure with eyes that glowed red. It looked like the figure had armor on. Taking a few steps back, she stared at the being with terrified, wide eyes. Now she remembered where she was. A loud snapping sound emanated from its side, and its hand became a cannon. It looked at her, aiming the cannon where she stood. She tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. Her legs wouldn't move; it was like they were cemented to the ground. She had to get out of there.

"Casey?"

The frightened girl looked frantically around her. Was somebody calling her name? Were they coming to get her out of there? The voice started to get louder. She tried to talk, but her voice was non-existent. The menacing cannon started to glow bright yellow. Panic started to rise from within her as she tried to use her voice.

"Casey!"

* * *

She woke up with a start, gasping for much needed air. Her heart was pounding hard against her ribcage. Sweat covered her forehead. It took a moment for her to realize that it was just another nightmare. She was back in the gymnasium. Holding her head with her left hand, she looked up to see a concerned face looking down at her. Duo was kneeling down beside her, almost to the point of hovering. Casey sat right up, her cheeks a hint of pink.

"W-Why are you here?" she demanded. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

Duo simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. She glared at him. How annoying.

"I actually came to the gym to play some ball," he said, standing up. She noticed the basketball that was under his right arm. "What about you? Are you okay?"

Casey scoffed. "I just fell asleep. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

Shaking his head at her attitude, he thrust the ball at her. She caught the ball with both hands and looked up at him, a brow raised.

"I challenge you to a one-on-one," he grinned with his hands on his hips. "If I win, you have to tell me a little about yourself and what you were dreaming about. If you win, I will never bother you again. Deal?"

Casey got up from the mats. "I never say no to a challenge. You're on," she said. This would be the perfect way to get rid of him. She was getting tired of him just popping up out of nowhere, especially when she wanted to be left alone.

"Fantastic! Let's do this!" Duo shouted, pumping a fist into the air.

The one-on-one commenced. Casey dribbled the ball and dodged Duo's attempt at stealing it from her. She ran toward the right basket, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She was awake now. With a jump, she shot the orange ball into the basket with a swish. She grinned as the ball bounced onto the ground. Duo smirked. He figured that the red-head would be competitive. He was right. He ran to get the ball and headed toward the opposite hoop. Casey ran after him, blocking his path with arms out wide.

"You think that's going to stop me?" he laughed and jumped, throwing the ball at the basket. The ball landed in the hoop and back onto the ground. Two easy points.

Casey was able to make a few more shots, but not nearly as much as Duo. The man was like a pro at the game. At one point he slam-dunked the ball, while losing his balance and falling to the ground. He laughed as he got up onto his feet.

"You are a strange individual," she commented as she wiped her brow. She took the ball and dribbled it to the other side of the room. Duo came up on her side and side-swiped it out of her hand. "Damn it!"

Duo winked at her before zipping toward the opposite direction. He nailed the ball into the hoop with a yell. That final dunk determined the score. It was fourteen to six, making him the winner.

Excited about his victory, he turned to Casey, spinning the ball on his right index finger. "I won fair and square. Now you have to tell me what I want to know." He knew he had the advantage with the game. Amanda was also on his mind at the time. He promised her that he would help Casey out, and he planned on keeping that promise. Casey, who was irritated by the whole thing, glared at him. Those hard chocolate-brown eyes burned a hole through him. Duo held up both hands in defense. Was she a sore loser?

"You agreed. It was a fair game," he said defensively.

She continued to eye him, but her eyes softened a bit. Now it was like she was trying to figure something out. "What do you want from me? What is your motive, huh?"

The braided pilot relaxed his body a bit. Motive? Well, there was a motive, but she made it sound like it was a bad one. "I just want to get to know you," he stated. "I'm already friends with Amanda and Ben. Why not you, too? You don't seem all that bad."

Casey sighed and turned her back on him. She walked back to the folded mats. "What would you like to know?"

Duo shrugged and followed her. "To be honest, I don't really know."

She groaned in frustration. Was he serious? "If you don't know, why bother with all of this?" she asked him coldly. "Wasting my time."

"I didn't really get that far," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why not start with why you are at this kind of school? You have family in the military?"

The topic stung her right in the heart. It was not something that she wanted to talk to a stranger about, but she didn't really have a choice. She did agree that she would tell him something. "I _had_ family in the military," she said flatly.

"What else?" he asked curiously. He already knew the sour part of her life from Amanda. However, he wanted to hear it from Casey. Maybe there would be more clues as to why she was the way she was.

"That's enough," Casey said, folding her arms over her chest.

Duo sighed and then asked what she dreamt about. She was obviously having some sort of a nightmare. Casey looked to her left and stared at the far wall. He wasn't going to leave her alone any time soon. She swallowed before explaining the nightmare to him. Those types of dreams were the reason why she hadn't slept well at night. It was also the first time that she was in that type of area. The figure was also something new.

"You have been dozing off in class lately," Duo mentioned. He looked at her with gentle violet eyes. "Thank you."

Casey turned to him and looked at him dubiously. "I'm confused. What for?"

"For telling me about the dream. It looked like you were in pain," he replied in a soft tone.

Still confused by the action and the answer, she cleared her throat. No matter how much she tried to shove him away, he always kept coming back. Was he that stubborn that he didn't get the message? Or was he after something else?

Duo smiled and looked forward. "I'm a simple guy. Does that answer your question?" Casey looked at him and blinked. It was like he read her mind. "Even though I'm a soldier, that doesn't mean I don't stand for what is right. I'm a normal guy. Well, sort of. Amanda and Ben are good people, people who I would fight to protect." He turned and looked at her. "I would fight for you, too. If you give me a chance, that is." She looked at him with wide eyes. What was he saying? "I just want to get to know you. You seem pretty awesome, except for the attitude." Casey balled her hands into fists. Moving on as quickly as he could, he continued. "But I think there is a reason behind the tough act that you put on. Just give me a chance. I've had a hard past, too." With that, he stood up and stretched his tired muscles. "Even though I seem happy all the time, there is a past that I wish that I could forget."

He couldn't, though. The past is what drove him to make the choices that he made, and why he became the person he was today. A somber look plagued his features for a moment. He then shook his head and smiled. "Well, I have to go. I have a lot to do back home. Besides being a student here, I run a scrap service with a good friend of mine. I'll catch you tomorrow," he waved.

Casey watched him go, thinking about all the things that he had said. How he managed to pin her to a corner, she didn't know. There was something about him that she couldn't figure out. She remembered the pained look on his face after he mentioned his past. That was something she didn't expect. For the first time, she was actually considering his offer, to befriend a soldier.

* * *

She returned home after the basketball challenge with the happy-go-lucky Duo. Her mind was still swimming from the last couple of hours. Alfred greeted her with his usual serene smile and offered to take her things. He mentioned that dinner was on the stove if she was hungry. Noticing that her stomach was cramping, she accepted the offer. She went and poured herself some beef stew from the giant iron pot and sat down at the large wooden kitchen table.

"Did you have some extra work to do today?" Alfred asked as he gave her some water.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're home later than usual," he pointed out. "At least two hours later."

"Oh. The new guy challenged me to a basketball game. I couldn't say no," she explained. "He won."

"How interesting. A new friend?"

Casey shook her head. She wasn't exactly sure herself. A part of her wanted to keep away from him. It was complicated. She grabbed the remote and turned on the television. To her surprise, Owen was on the screen at a podium. He was dressed in a nice navy suit; his brown hair was slicked back. His thin lips turned into a smile as he looked at his audience. She turned up the volume so she could hear. What was going on?

He stated that he happily accepted the position of second of command for the new Colony Earth Alliance.

"Being a security chief throughout the years has opened up my eyes to the importance of life in space, as well as the Earth. Both the Earth and the colonies should come together for the future of peace," he said with a smile. He turned to his side and shook Relena's hand, who was the founder and new leader of the CEA.

Casey looked at Alfred. "Why is this all new to me?"

"Owen didn't want you to know just yet," Alfred said simply. The red-head scoffed and shoved the steel spoon into her mouth.

"Miss Relena came to him and asked for his role as her second in command," Alfred explained. "He has been through the wars and has been a great help with the defenses. She thought he would be perfect for the role."

With a small frown on her face, Casey simply nodded her head. A new role meant that Owen wasn't going to be returning home anytime soon. She watched as photographers snapped pictures of the duo on the television. She placed the empty dishes into the dishwasher and finished off her glass of water.

"Thanks for the dinner, Alfred," she said. "It was delicious."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he smiled. "Have a good night's rest, my dear."

She said goodnight and headed up the stairs. After putting her pajamas on, she got under the covers and lay in bed. She stared up at the ceiling. One thought popped into her head as she thought about Owen. She didn't have a family anymore. She turned onto her side, feeling a tad bit lonely. She just hoped that sleep would come to her and that the nightmares would stay away. However, she knew that was just wishful thinking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

There was a small room occupied by two computers side by side. A phone line was in the middle of the two running machines. A printer was to the left and a fax machine to the right. This was the monitoring room where a secret organization called The Preventers went to keep track of what was happening within space and the Earth. Dark eyes were scanning one of the computer monitors. There were four mini windows that were placed on the screen, each showing different parts of space. The young man that was sitting in front of the computer used his right hand to scroll down one of the windows. His dark brows furrowed as he stopped using the mouse. It looked like some unidentified shuttles were spotted carrying large amounts of what looked like ammunition. Not just any ammunition, but weapons that could be used on mobile suits.

He quickly turned his attention to the phone that was next to the computer. With fluid-like fingers, he dialed a four-digit number and then slammed the receiver down. He scrolled some more and read the findings report that was at the bottom of the window. It told him that it was nothing to worry about, but he still had a sinking feeling in his gut. There shouldn't be any shuttles carrying that type of ammunition. Not now, at least. He turned his head when he heard the door behind him open with a creak. Standing in the doorway, a slim woman with light-brown curled hair looked at the young man. He joined up with Sally after the war with Mariemaia. From time to time there would be people who stirred up trouble. The Preventers were there to stop any sparks before they got out of hand.

"What did you find, Wufei?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You usually don't beep me unless you need me, which is hardly ever."

Wufei scoffed and turned back to the computer screen. "Don't get all cocky, Sally. I need your opinion on something."

Sally maneuvered over to where Wufei sat. She leaned in and read the report that was still on the screen. Using her hand, she scrolled up the page, her expression neutral. "It does seem fishy. We haven't had these sightings in quite awhile. It sure looks like ammunition, but it's difficult to know for sure with this angle. That, and it's very well covered."

"Tell me something that I don't know," Wufei said with a frown. "At least we agree on something. I'll keep an eye on this one. Even though whoever wrote the report said it wasn't suspicious, that doesn't mean they are right. We do have some idiot on the team. I'm sure Heero is with Relena. Notify Di Nevella [AC1] about this so at least she's aware. Things have been too quiet for my taste."

The corner of Sally's lips lifted into a smirk. Wufei was still as arrogant as before. At least his mood lightened up a bit from time to time. "You got it," the older woman said as she straightened up. "Lista is actually supposed to be dropping by later on today."

Wufei merely scoffed again and returned to what he was doing.

* * *

Relena walked out of the building, her folders pressed against her chest. She was wearing a beige pencil skirt and blazer. Her light brown hair was half up, half down. The sun felt good on her face as she walked down the stone steps. Being cooped up in a room for hours was getting to her. A warm smile formed across her pink lips when she saw Heero standing by her vehicle.

"Good afternoon, Heero," she greeted as her chauffeur opened the back door for them. He waved his arm, motioning her to enter the vehicle. Heero followed suit.

They rode together in silence for a bit. Relena looked out the window at the passing scenery. Spring on Earth was such a pretty season. Flowers were blooming in all areas. The leaves on the trees were sprouting. It was a season of rebirth, of new change. She heard Heero clear his throat, making her turn her head toward him.

"Is something the matter?" she asked, looking at his expressionless face.

His lips turned into a thin line. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked. "I thought you liked doing things behind the scenes. This is a huge responsibility."

The young leader smiled and placed a hand on his. "I am aware of that. Being the center of attention was never something that I was fond of. But I had to be in order to make a difference. That's why I feel like I should at least be doing something more."

Heero looked in front of him. "You'll be a target again," he murmured.

"And I am not afraid to die for what is right," she said in a firm tone. "The people have been doing well standing up for themselves and speaking out. That much is true. It's just that I feel like they need more structure to lean on. That's why I formed the CEA."

Heero didn't say anything. She knew that he would oppose of her decision. He didn't have to say a word on it. In truth, she was hesitant at first when the idea formed. When the organization first came up, she didn't know what to do in regards to setting it up. It took her some time to get sponsors and people on board. That and she had to decide if she should go in as the leader.

Leaning over, she placed a small kiss on his cheek. A tint of pink appeared across his face, his eyes unwavering. He took her hand into his and squeezed it gently. He knew that he couldn't convince her to change her mind; she was too stubborn for that. Besides, things were already in place. All he could do was hope for the best and stay by her side.

* * *

Hot green liquid was poured into a small brown and green ceramic cup. Thin, long fingers grabbed the sides of the cup, bringing it up to the person's lips. They blew on the steam before taking a sip.

"Do you like the tea?" Sally asked her guest. "It's all that we have at the moment. I did ask a certain someone to go out and get a few items, but they just waved me off."

Lista smiled at the last part. "It's good."

The two soldiers sat across from each other, each with a cup in their hand and a smile on their face. Sally explained to her colleague about what Wufei had discovered. She also wanted to get Lista's opinion on the matter.

"Yeah. It does sound suspicious," Lista agreed thoughtfully. "We haven't had to fight mobile suits in quite some time. Do we at least know where they are taking it?"

Sally shook her head. "Not for that one." Lista's grip on her cup tightened a little bit. She didn't say a thing, but she knew Sally could see the uneasiness on her face. "Things are being monitored very closely. Do not worry."

Lista gave a small smile and nodded. Sally was right. For all they knew, it could be absolutely nothing. "I will mention this to Quatre, as well."

Sally smiled at the name. "How are you two doing, by the way?"

"Things are going good for us. There aren't any complaints," Lista blushed.

"I'm glad to hear it. What about the other pilots? It's been quite some time since I heard about what they were up to."

"Well, Duo went back to school, for whatever reason he had. As for Trowa? I haven't really heard from him in awhile. The last I heard from Quatre, he was still with the circus," Lista explained.

"It's amazing how normal life can be when war isn't involved," she nodded. "However, we all know that peace doesn't last for long. Just like you, I feel a bit uneasy."

Lista took a sip of the hot liquid. "That is true. As long as man is around, the peace will always get disturbed, one way or another. That's why we are fighting to protect that peace."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Sally said before taking another sip of her tea. "Let's just hope that whatever is going on in space isn't something for us to worry about."

Lista only nodded in agreement. For the remainder of the afternoon the two women enjoyed each other's company, trying not to worry about anything else.

* * *

Casey nibbled on her ham sandwich as she stared at a spot in front of her. Owen returned home the night before with folders and documents galore. She had congratulated him on his new position, which he smiled and thanked her.

"Change is coming, Casey," he had said with determination in his voice. "Things are going to be different for the colonies as a whole. A brighter future is in store and we will no longer be in the shadows."

She frowned at the last sentence as she bit into her sandwich. What in the world did he mean by "no longer be in the shadows"? A tightly crumpled brown paper bag bounced off the top of her head, making her snap out of her thoughts, and glare at the source that it came from. Duo chuckled as he waved to her. She scowled at him and then realized that it was just the two of them at the lunch table. "Where are Amanda and Benjamin?" she asked.

"Well, she tried to get your attention," Duo said with a shake of his head. "You were too deep in thought. The two of them went to the library to work on a class project."

Casey remembered that the two of them had a presentation in a couple of weeks for speech class. The red- head finished her lunch and leaned back into her chair. Now she was alone with the annoying Duo, who bothered her more than she should care. She glanced over at the braided pilot and realized that he was still staring at her. What was his deal? Didn't he learn not to stare at people?

"Okay. What is your deal?" she asked. All he did was shrug. "You really are a weird person."

The grin on his face widened and he, too, leaned back in his chair. "I get that a lot." At least she wasn't bolting away from him. His purple eyes followed some male students out onto the school patio. "Hey. Why don't we go outside for a bit? The sun is out. Let's get to know each other more."

Casey rolled her eyes. Not this again. Obviously he didn't get the hint that she didn't want to be bothered by him. She then remembered the one-on-one that they had. He probably didn't care because he won. "Just humor me, okay?"

With an exasperated groan, she got up and joined him. As they walked outside, Duo remembered the talk that he had with Amanda.

 _"_ _Casey never used to be cold and distant. She was a happy, caring person when we were younger. Something happened to her when she went down to Earth with her father during the war. She came back a different person. Maybe you can help? You get along with everyone and, for some reason, she doesn't shove you away like most people."_

Duo looked up at the cloud-free sky. He did have that impact on people. Or maybe it was because he kept going back to her. He glanced at his side and noticed that Casey was walking next to him, a scowl on her face, arms crossed. He really liked Amanda and wanted to help her out. He already won a game of ball with Casey. He had to keep going. It was all or nothing.

Duo took a deep breath. He began to tell her about his past, that his life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. He had it rough. He didn't have a normal childhood with a mother and a father. He told her about the church and the death of the only two people he cared about the most. That night changed him forever. He didn't tell her about his Gundam. Both he and Amanda knew that would be a huge mistake.

Casey stopped in her tracks and looked at him. Not with annoyance, but with some kind of sadness in her eyes. Duo was taken off guard by the look and smiled softly at her. Was that all it had to take- a sob story to get her to notice that he wasn't a bad guy?

"The life I had back then made me a stronger person. That's why I am always smiling. I guess you could call it a mask, but I also don't want to dwell in the past if I can help it. You know what I am saying?" he asked, his tone was gentle.

Casey looked at the cemented ground. This man had more of a traumatizing past than she did. Yet here he goes on smiling each day. Duo shook her gently on the shoulder. "Hey. It's okay. I'm happy that I was able to share my past with you."

"Happy? Why would you be happy?" she asked in a whisper.

"Well, I got to share with you a piece of me," Duo shrugged. "That's what it's like to get to know someone."

She didn't say anything as they continued their walk. They got to the basketball court where some of the students were playing a game of basketball. One of them looked over and spotted Duo. The student yelled for him, waving his hand eagerly in the air. He asked Duo to join them. They were down one person on the other team. A huge grin formed on the pilot's face.

"Do you mind if I go play?" Duo asked. It was as if he was asking his mother if he could go out and play with the boys.

"What does it matter to me? Go," she said.

Duo ran over to the group and high-fived someone before getting into game mode. Casey leaned up against a tree, watching the guys play their game. Duo grabbed the ball, dribbling it with speed from one hand to the next. He raced to the hoop, dodging someone who tried to block him. He leaped up and slam-dunked the ball. The students on his team cheered while the other team had frowns on their faces. Duo grinned and prepared for another go. One guy on the opposing team went to pass the ball, but Duo intercepted. He then tripped and fell on his face. Two guys rushed to his aid, but Duo held up a hand and laughed. Some of the other guys laughed along with him. He got up and continued to play as if nothing even happened. Casey continued to watch from where she was, a slight smile on her face.

* * *

A computer was on in a semi-lit room. There were blueprints of a mobile suit laid out on a table. A shadowed figure walked around the room, checking what was on the computer screen. _Excellent,_ he thought. Everything was coming together smoothly. He took a sip of his coffee before walking over to the prints. The figure started to write some things down in a spiral notebook before closing up shop for the night. A smile could be seen from what little light there was. The figure locked the door before exiting the room.

* * *

 **A/N:** I would like to thank those of you who have read my story and who have left reviews. Those reviews meant a lot to me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Casey did a couple of round kicks into the air, and then landed on her feet with force. She panted hard, trying to catch her breath. With determined eyes, she continued her round kicks for about five more repetitions. Duo watched her from the blue folded mats, amazed at her stamina.

He showed up to the gymnasium just as she was starting her training session. He expected her to tell him to get lost; however, she didn't. She just went on to what she was doing. Casey yelled as she kicked her foot into the air. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she continued her work. The braided pilot watched her every move. It was like she was dancing instead of fighting. She stopped and looked at him.

"What are you staring at?" she asked him.

"I was just watching you dance," he simply replied.

Confused by his answer, she walked over to the mats and grabbed a white towel that was in her bag. She dried herself off and took a seat next to him. "I wasn't dancing," she stated matter-of-factly. She grabbed her water bottle and took a swig of water. The iced cold drink cooled her down.

"I know that, but just looking at how gracefully you move with each kick, it looked like a dance to me," Duo explained with a grin. Casey looked at him and scoffed. "How old were you exactly when you first started martial arts?"

The red-head placed the water bottle down next to her. "I was about nine when I started. My father used to be a mechanic for mobile suits before enlisting into the military," she explained. "He thought it was a good idea. It gave me something to do while he worked. It was just the two of us. I would practice martial arts as a form of distraction from the daily struggles."

Duo's ears perked up. This was a lot more information than what he had asked. Maybe she was finally opening herself up to him. "Tell me more about him, your father," he boldly asked. He wanted to know more.

A small smile appeared on her face. "He was fascinated with machines. The mobile suits were like huge models for him to build. As I got older, I was allowed to sit in one of them. I even got a chance to walk it a few steps down the garage. That was about it. Nothing too serious. When he enlisted into the military, we were sent down to Earth. That's when he found out about the suits called Gundams. He was enthralled by them. Such design and power was what he liked. He spent most of his days obsessing over those things. He did a lot of research on what he could find on them when he wasn't on duty."

She blinked her eyes in realization. She didn't even know why she was telling him all of this. Not too many people knew about her father and what had happened on Earth years ago. Why him? It confused her even more now. Duo frowned and looked forward. Casey glanced at him and noticed the serious look on his face, something that she wasn't used to.

"But he got killed by the one thing he was obsessed with," she spat, anger slowly rising from within her. Duo flinched a little and looked over at her, noticing the beads of moisture as tears formed at the edges of her eyes. Without thinking, he wiped a fallen tear with his thumb. So he got to hear it from her after all. Casey blinked and looked at him before swatting his hand away. "That is all." Her voice was firm but shaky. She packed up her things and left the gymnasium.

Duo sat there for a bit, taking in all that had happened. He was definitely making progress. She wasn't as cold to him as she once was. Okay, maybe not _as_ cold. A smile formed across his lips. He had to tell Amanda about his progress. Getting up from his seat on the mat, he headed home.

* * *

Relena shifted though some papers in her new office. It was spacious with polished oak furnishings. A few paintings hung on the walls here and there. She was getting used to her new role slowly. Heero wasn't always around, but she knew he was close by. She picked up a packet. It was documents on the upcoming new colonies that were in the process of being formed. She read through the packet and signed off on them. They were requesting her help on getting things rolling. Not only that, but they wanted new people to move into them. It was one step closer to bringing the two sides together.

Owen entered the office with a slight bow. "Some of the colony leaders would like to talk to you. Should I tell Shelly to set up an appointment?" he asked as he looked through the planner that he had in his hand.

Relena smiled. "Yes, please. I would like to discuss with them about the new treaties."

Owen cleared his throat. "Miss Relena, with all due respect, don't we already have some sort of treaty between the two parties? I just feel like it's a waste to redo them."

She set her pen down on the desk. "Yes, we do have something. I just want to go over some adjustments," she stated as she neatly stacked papers to one side of the desk. "I want to ensure that things are moving smoothly. There are people who feel like the colonies are still separate from the Earth."

"That is true, though. The people of the colonies and the people of Earth have a separate form of government," Owen said as he walked closer to the desk.

"I want to bring the two closer together with the government, as well. The treaty that is currently in place isn't good enough for my goals. That is why I created some changes. In order for pacifism to last, things have to change. It doesn't matter if it is big or small," Relena explained to the older man in a calm manner. Owen looked at her, not impressed.

"Let me know when a good date to set up the meeting is," he said.

"How about next Thursday?" she asked.

Owen looked at the planner and gave her a nod before leaving the room. He walked down the long hallway of the building, his hands in his pant pockets. He stopped at a room and keyed in a special code on the number pad that was attached to the door. Looking once at both ends of the hall, he entered the dark room. He closed the door behind him and settled behind a desk.

"She doesn't see that the colonies are the place to be right now. This planet has had its run. The future is in space."

* * *

Duo and Amanda walked to their next class together. He made a joke about the teacher, which made Amanda laugh. He flashed a toothy smile at her.

"Did something happen with Casey?" she inquired. The red-head seemed kind of off coming to school that day. It was like she was more preoccupied than anything.

"Well, she did start to tear up when we were talking the other night," he mentioned with a thoughtful expression. Amanda stopped in her tracks and looked at the man in bewilderment. "Yeah. She mentioned her father and got all emotional."

"Hold on a second. She told you about her father?" Amanda asked, amazed. "That's new considering that she doesn't tell people about him or about herself for that matter. I'm impressed, Duo."

"Yeah. Tell me about it. I was shocked, as well, by it," he said. "She was on a roll until she mentioned the Gundam. After that she got all distant again and left the room."

Amanda grabbed both of Duo's hands ecstatically. "You have a way with people, Duo! She showed a side of herself that I haven't seen in years! The sensitive part of her still exists, and you helped her bring it out! Maybe you are the one she's destined to meet."

"Whoa! Hold on there for a sec. I don't believe in all that 'destiny' mumbo jumbo. That's my friend, Quatre," Duo said, his cheeks turning a slight tint of pink.

Amanda shook her head. "Oh, no. There are forces that can bring two people together. Have you ever heard of the red string that ties two people by their pinkies? Casey needed someone to bring her old self back. That person is you." Amanda seemed so sure of herself and in her beliefs. She glanced over at a poster that was taped to the wall next to them. It had a tiara and a black top hat on it. On the top it had the event name, date, and time. "The prom! Ask her to the prom!"

"What?!" Duo asked and looked at the poster. "What is it? A party? Do I have to ask a girl to it?"

"Well, you don't have to ask a girl. You can ask a guy if you want. It's not that complicated. I'm going with Ben, and I don't want her to go by herself or not at all," Amanda explained. Before Duo could say anything else, Casey marched up to Amanda, a look of anger on her face. "Casey? What happened? Is something wrong?"

"Benjamin just told me that he was going to join the military when the opportunity presented itself," Casey said aggressively. Her anger was rapidly rising.

"I knew that already," Amanda admitted calmly. "Those were the kinds of tests he was taking. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps."

"It's a big mistake! How can you be so calm about all this?! He could die in battle and leave you alone," Casey said, her face turning red. She had flashbacks to when she found out that her father had been killed and the guilt that she felt. They had a huge fight prior to him leaving for that colony. She never got a chance to apologize to him. Her hands balled up into fists as she shut her eyes tightly. "It's selfish!"

Amanda took in a deep breath. The brunette knew this day would come. "It's not my say in the matter. I don't think it's selfish if he wants to protect people."

Lost for words, Casey turned and ran in the opposite direction. Duo took off after her without much thought on his end.

Dodging the students that were in her way, she made her way to the stairs that led to the second floor of the school. She ignored the murmurs of the other students as she moved into an empty classroom. Closing the door shut, she caught her breath. What had come over her just now? Her cool was usually under control. She moved away from the door and sat on one of the desk tops. What was happening? Her head snapped up and to the direction of the door to find Duo standing there. She hung her head.

"What was that?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"Why are you here?" she demanded softly, not picking her head up.

"I had to go after you. I could see that you were very upset about the news," he said as he closed the door behind him.

"I don't know what came over me. It shouldn't matter, though. If he wants to go and get himself killed, so be it. All soldiers are the same. They don't care about anyone else," she whispered.

Duo walked over to her. "That's being a little harsh, don't you think?" He stood in front of her.

"It's the truth," she stated, not looking up at him.

Duo gently took her hand. At the same time, he braced himself for any attack that she might use on him. However, all he could see was someone who was hurting deep inside, someone who obviously cared for her friends. She looked up at him. Why was she like this? Why did she fall apart when he was in her presence? It was like whatever barrier she had up, he had the ability to destroy it.

"Not all soldiers are selfish beings. I became one because of what happened to my family. I wanted to protect the people that I cared about. However, in order for me to do that, I had to get blood on my hands, blood that will never go away. Does that make me a bad person, Casey?" he asked in a low voice. Casey didn't say anything but stare into his violet eyes. "There is something that is preventing you from being your true self. I can see that there is a whole lot of hurt behind those beautiful eyes of yours. Please trust me?" He slowly brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. He moved away and grinned. "That prom thing is coming up. Why don't we go together? You can show me what it's all about. Of course, you don't have to give me an answer yet. Just think about what I said." He winked at her and then left the room. Casey sat on the desk with wide eyes as she looked at her hand.

* * *

Ben walked Amana home, still feeling guilty about telling Casey about his decision.

"I shouldn't have said anything to her," he said. "Of course she would have blown up like that. I just didn't think she would run to you and flip out like she did."

Amanda placed a hand on his shoulder. "She doesn't say it, but she values you as a friend. I can tell," she said softly. "She's upset that you will be leaving us… leaving me. She's afraid."

"But that's not my intention," he said matter-of-factly. He looked solemnly as they continued walking. It's true that when he first met Casey, there was high tension whenever they were together. Sometimes she wouldn't even acknowledge him and just talk to Amanda. That was about a year ago. Now the two of them would have small conversations with each other. The look in her eyes when he told her what was going to happen, he did see the fear in her eyes. He shook the image out of his head. "My whole family is part of the military. It's only fitting that I am part, as well. My two older brothers have fought hard to be where they are now."

The brunette smiled. "Your family is very lucky to have such a noble son. Please do not worry too much about it. Besides, it's not going to happen until after we graduate from school. Until then, I'll try to get some sense into Casey. I'm sure she'll get over this whole thing."

Ben smiled and pecked Amanda on the lips. "Thanks."

* * *

After entering the house, Casey immediately headed up the stairs. She didn't even hear Alfred greet her. She closed her bedroom door and flopped onto her bed. Her head and her heart were pounding like crazy after her meeting with Duo. She skipped her martial arts training due to her lack of focus. She couldn't stop thinking of those eyes of his that bore deep into hers. She couldn't escape his stare. Of course she wanted to slap the shit out of him, but her body refused to move. Why? Who the hell was he? She kept asking those questions over and over, but got no answers. It was like he could see right through her. The sudden kiss on the hand took her by surprise. She just sat there like a mindless doll. The feeling of his warm lips on her hand was still there. Her eyes flew open, her cheeks red. She felt this feeling before and it ended up hurting her. However, it seemed different with Duo. He listened to her and wanted to get to know her. It felt… genuine.

She shook her head and buried it into her pillow. No. This had to stop. This feeling had to go away or else she would end up getting hurt again. That was the last thing she wanted. She wouldn't be able to take it. She moved her head to the side when she felt her phone vibrate on the bed. Amanda's name was on the screen. With a groan, she hit the green phone icon.

"Hello?" she sighed.

"How are you?" Amanda asked on the other line. "You didn't meet me after the last class."

Casey massaged her eyes with her left hand. "I just needed some time to cool off. I have to think things over."

"You know, Ben feels really bad about what happened. He knew that you would be against it, but he didn't think you would react the way that you did. That's the reason why he didn't tell you at first," Amanda said in a low voice.

"I'm not mad at him," Casey sighed again. "I just don't want anything bad to happen, you know? We all lost loved ones. I don't want another added to the list."

"I can understand that," Amanda said softly. "But I can't think that way. All I can do is support him and his decisions." Casey didn't say anything. If anything, she admired her friend's strength. "What happened with Duo? He chased after you."

The red-head explained what had happened inside of the classroom. She did not mention the kiss that he put on her hand. It was all too confusing when it came to him.

"I just want to know what his true intentions are," she whispered, almost to herself. "Like, why is he so interested in me? What makes me so special?"

"Maybe he can see past that outer shell of yours?" Amanda answered. "Don't forget, you weren't always like this."

Once again Casey didn't say anything. She moved onto her back so she could look up at the ceiling. "What should I do, Amanda?"

"Go with him to the prom, obviously. I doubt he has any bad motives. Just get to know him instead of pushing him away," Amanda said. "My mom is home. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Just give my suggestion some thought."

A click could be heard and then the dial tone. Casey ended the call on her end and just lay there, looking at the popcorn ceiling of her room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Wufei's eyes hardened as he and Sally both looked at the computer screen in front of them. More of those shuttles were on the move with more ammunition in tow. The Chinese soldier tried to track down each traveling shuttle to its destination. However, each shuttle would disappear once it got to a certain point. How were they doing it? He had no clue.

"It's weird, that much is true. There has to be something that could give us a clue," Sally said as she viewed the videos one more time. "It seems like they all disappear around the same radius."

Lista walked into the tight room and closed the door behind her. Sally greeted her friend and moved over so they could all fit within the small space.

"Is there anything new happening with those mysterious shuttles?" she asked as she squeezed between the two.

"There are more shuttles moving about in space. Each had their own load of weaponry," Wufei explained. He kept his eyes glued to the screen. "It's not something that you should be worrying about right now. Don't you and Quatre have a wedding to plan? You should be focusing on becoming his wife."

The ebony-haired woman balled her hands into fists, but forced herself to remain calm. Sally then cleared her throat.

"Well, I think it's good that she's here with us. Maybe you can use your skills to hack into any databases that might know about the shuttles," Sally suggested, trying to cool the atmosphere that had suddenly heated up.

"Yeah. I'll see what I can come up with. I haven't done it in a long time, but let's see," Lista smiled. She heard Wufei scoff, and she passed him a glare in response as she exited the room.

* * *

Relena sat at the head of a huge rectangular oak table in a large room. A few representatives from each of the colonies and a few of the world leaders were sitting around the table. They had a packet in front of them as she read off a list. She talked about the new colonies that were being built in space: L6 and L7. With those new colonies, people were taking interest into moving to outer space. In order for things to go more smoothly, the Earth had to keep working with the colonies. A few of the representatives nodded their heads in agreement. Relena smiled softly.

Owen, who was sitting next to her, cleared his throat. "Of course more people are moving off planet. Space is where the future is," he said matter-of-factly. "The Earth owes the colonies a great deal, in my opinion."

"What do you mean by that?" asked the L4 representative. "The Earth doesn't owe us anything."

Owen frowned and looked at the men that were gathered around the table. "War is started by the people of this planet. The people of the colonies are the ones who want peace."

Wanting to hear no more, Relena interrupted. "Excuse me, but war can be started anywhere, not just on Earth. As long as humans exist, there will always be some sort of battle, which is why I fight for pacifism. I want people to see that a better life with peace is the way to go," she said calmly. "Our goal is to urge for pacifism everywhere."

Owen scowled at his leader, but held his tongue. The men in the room looked at each other in a confused manner. Relena rose from her seat. "I will stop this meeting at this point. Thank you all for your time. Please get home safely." Each person filed out of the room, muttering to each other. When Relena was alone with Owen, she turned to her second in command, a look of displeasure on her graceful features. "May I ask what that was all about?"

"I was merely giving my opinion, Miss Relena," he explained. "That is all."

"It would be wise to keep some opinions to yourself," she firmly stated and walked out of the room.

Owen growled as he clenched his fists at his side.

* * *

In science class, Casey stood in front of her classmates. A slideshow was projected on the dropdown screen with different images. She talked about the environmental differences between the Earth and the Colonies. Duo watched her, noticing a tiny smile on her lips as she described the trees, plants, and the water. She was very good at public speaking, although her free hand kept twitching.

The smile on her face disappeared as she switched to a slide of a beach scene. Casey looked at the picture for a moment, a dull pain stabbing her in the heart. The memory of her walking down the boardwalk with _that_ guy, it was something that she tried to bury deep in the recesses of her mind. Obviously it didn't work. She shook her head and continued on with her presentation.

At the end of class, she gathered her stuff into her bag. The other students filed out of the classroom one by one. She looked to her left and saw Ben getting up from his seat. With a sigh, she walked up to him.

He looked up at her and smiled. "That was a good presentation," he commented. "I wish my presentation went just as well." He remembered stuttering through half of his own.

"Thanks…" She scratched the back of her head. "Look… I'm sorry that I blew up at you. I was just worried about Amanda… and you…"

Ben's smile widened at her apology. "I appreciate it, but no apologies are necessary. I know that you care for the both of us." A tint of red appeared on her cheeks. "I'll catch you later. Thanks again." He waved to her and exited the classroom.

Duo approached her with a rolled up piece of paper in his hand. Casey looked at him warily. It literally took all her energy to avoid the man. She didn't want to get too close to the soldier, but she found out that she couldn't avoid him, either. It was very frustrating. It didn't help that he was always around with her and her friends. She watched as he unraveled the paper that he was holding. It was a poster for the prom. She looked at him dubiously.

"Well?" he asked, with one hand on his hip.

"Well, what?" she asked.

"What is your answer?"

Her nerves rattled throughout her body. She had a feeling that he was heading toward that direction; she just didn't want it to be true.

"I-I can't…" she stammered. "I… have plans… that night."

"Bullshit," Amanda said, appearing out of nowhere. "It'll be fun. Ben will be my date and Duo can be yours. Stop making excuses."

Casey eyed her friend before letting out a sigh. It was like they backed her into a corner. She was outnumbered.

"Not to mention you have been trying to avoid me," Duo pointed out. Casey looked at him with an almost tired expression. "Hey. You think I haven't noticed? You would turn the opposite direction in the halls. You didn't come to lunch with us. I'm not _that_ stupid."

"Fine! I'll go. You happy now?" she asked, knowing that arguing would be pointless in this situation. She was just emotionally drained.

Amanda and Duo nodded their heads with big smiles on their faces. The red-head rolled her eyes at them and closed her bag. Duo handed her a piece of paper with a phone number written on it.

"That's my cell number," he winked.

Casey's cheeks flushed as she looked at the paper. Amanda grabbed her friend by the arm, excitement coursing through her veins. "The dance is next Saturday. We need to go shopping for a dress."

"Wait… a dress? Can't I wear pants or something?" Casey asked, already regretting her answer toward the whole ordeal.

Her friend shook her head. "Oh, no. You want to look stunning. You want to make heads turn as you walk by in a gorgeous gown!"

Casey groaned. She hated dresses. It was bad enough that she had to wear a skirt to school. This wasn't going to be an easy task.

* * *

Owen was going through files on his computer. His eyes narrowed as he stopped at a certain page. They were blueprints of a Gundam. He scrolled through the information that was on the side of the print.

"An energy axe, huh?" he asked himself as he read the details. He was intrigued. "Interesting choice, my old friend, but will it be enough for me?" A knock resonated from the door. He closed the program quickly. "Enter." A man in his late thirties wearing a tan military uniform entered with a salute. He had short dirty blonde hair and green eyes. "What is it, Marcus?" he asked, almost annoyed at the man's presence.

"Sir, the next meeting with the country leaders will be held on the colony L2. It's going to be at the Invana Hotel, to be exact," Marcus explained.

A smirk formed across Owen's thin lips. "Perfect," he cooed. "How many mobile dolls do we have that are finished?"

"The Andromedas are complete," Marcus replied. His body was still at attention. "I just don't know about the other suits." Owen nodded his head. It would have to do. "Will Miss Relena be present?"

"Of course she will. The leader herself has to be," Owen answered coolly.

Marcus hesitated for a moment. "Will… she be involved in the attack?"

Owen shook his head. "I'll be there, too. I will simply grab her when the time comes. No harm will come to her if she cooperates." Marcus saluted once more. "Keep me updated and let Shane know that I want to see him. There is another project that I want him to work on." The younger man agreed and exited the room. Owen went back to the computer and pulled up the program again. "Soon my plan will take off and the Earth will surrender."

* * *

After school, the two girls headed straight for the shopping district. Amanda dragged her friend into different stores that held various types of dress. The brunette took one dress after another off the racks. She gave the dresses to Casey and playfully shoved the red-head into a dressing room. Casey stood in the small room and looked at herself in the mirror. With a sigh, she started trying on the different dresses that her friend had eagerly picked out. One dress felt way too snug. It felt like she was wrapped in a cocoon. It was strapless and ended just above her knees. She waddled her way out of the dressing room and to her friend. Amanda beamed at the yellow satin dress. It fit her like a glove.

"I hate it," Casey said flatly. "I can't even walk in this thing. How is this even a dress?"

"That's the style. I think it looks great on you. It shows off your figure," Amanda complimented.

"What if I want to keep my figure hidden?!" A snicker was heard to Amanda's left. "Benjamin?! Why is he here?!"

"Sorry, Casey," Ben apologized. "I just had to tag along for this."

"You know if I wasn't bound by this thing I would totally destroy you," Casey threatened.

"Stop," Amanda smiled. "You don't have to like this one. There are others for you to try on."

Casey groaned and waddled her way back into her room. She locked the door and looked at the other dresses that were hanging on a hook. They each had different patterns, fabrics, and styles to them. Neither one really caught her eye. She looked at herself wearing the yellow dress. She took back what she had said earlier. She looked like a banana if anything. After shrugging herself out of the first dress, she went on to the next, and then to the next. Ben seemed to enjoy himself each time she came out wearing a different style.

"Each dress is a bust," she told her friend. "I might as well wear pants."

"Oh, no. There are plenty more shops that we can go into," Amanda insisted and took hold of her friend's hand.

Once again, Casey was dragged to a store that was further down from the first one. She looked at her watch and sighed. She knew her friend wouldn't be satisfied until she found the perfect dress. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Duo sat at his laptop, working on his homework for the evening. A message popped up at the corner of his screen. He opened the window and Quatre's face appeared.

"Yo, buddy! How is everything, man?" he greeted his friend and comrade.

"The company is doing well, so far," Quatre replied with satisfaction. His cheeks then turned pink as he smiled. "Lista and I are also going over the wedding preparations." Duo smiled at the good news. "How are you doing with that girl?" Quatre remembered the little chat that they had a while back.

"Things are actually lightening up between us in some odd way. There is going to be this prom thing. From what Amanda had told me, it's a dance where people dress all fancy."

"Sounds like a good time," Quatre commented with a smile.

A thought crossed the braided soldier's mind. He hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. "There is something that I've learned about her, Quatre. About what happened to her father," he whispered. The tone of his voice was grim.

"Oh?" his friend asked. "She told you some things about herself?"

Duo clenched his teeth together. This was going to be bad. "Her father was killed on a colony… by a Gundam." Silence fell like a heavy fog. He looked at Quatre and saw that the color had drained from his face. "I was contemplating on whether if I should tell you or not. I guess it was a bad idea. Sorry, man."

"No," Quatre whispered. He tried to contain his mixed emotions. "It's good that you told me."

"I'm really sorry, buddy," Duo said with a frown.

Quatre smiled weakly. The past would always haunt the Arabian pilot. Tons of people were killed all because he snapped. There were probably more fathers just like Casey's who never saw their children again. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I want to apologize to her," he said in a low voice.

Duo furrowed his brows. "Are you crazy? She would most likely hurt you. She won't hold anything back. My suggestion is to not do anything. It's better that she doesn't know who it was."

Quatre nodded his head in defeat. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Thank you, Duo, for telling me. Enjoy the prom, okay?"

Duo smiled warmly. "I will, buddy. Take care." He ended the call. He knew it was a bad move on his part, telling Quatre about Casey's father. But for some reason, he felt like he had to say something.

* * *

Quatre turned off his computer and just looked at the black screen in front of him. He ran his hands through his platinum blonde hair, letting out a shaky sigh. Tiny streams of tears rolled down his cheeks. Lista walked into the office with a tray containing a teapot and a plate of vanilla cake. She stopped and looked at the distraught man sitting at his desk, his hands covering his face.

"Quatre?" she asked as she placed the tray on the desk. "Is everything all right?" When she noticed tears falling from his face, she gently pried his hands away. "What on Earth happened?"

He sniffed as he wiped the wetness from his eyes. "I called Duo via the video messenger just to see how he was doing. He told me that the girl he had befriended… her father was on the colony that I destroyed."

Lista's heart sank as she watched more tears appear from her lover's eyes. She bent down and looked up at him. "It's not your fault. You weren't in the right mindset. You just lost your own father because of the war."

"That doesn't mean that I still don't hold that burden," Quatre said shakily. "She has every reason to be upset."

Lista sighed and placed her hand on his lap. "I wish I could erase the past for you, to ease the pain that the war has left behind." She got up from where she was kneeling and poured both of them a cup of raspberry tea. "Drink this. It'll help calm you."

Quatre took a sip of the fruity beverage. The warmth enveloped his body. He smiled at his fiancée. "Thank you, Lista. I'm sorry for being such a mess."

She went over and hugged him tightly. "You are not a mess. You are a good person who wants to see everyone happy. Don't you forget that." She placed a small kiss on his lips before returning to the tray. "I got this delicious cake at the bakery. The frosting is out of this world. They handed out samples, and I just had to get it." She placed the small ceramic plate of cake in front of him.

He ate a small piece of the cake. He smiled as he took another bite. The buttercream frosting was very creamy and rich. The cake was moist, and there were bits of white chocolate within it. It definitely made him feel better. He finished off the dessert and the tea, placing the empty dishes back on the tray.

"That was delicious. Thank you, Lista," he smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it," she said, smiling back. She picked up the tray. "Dinner will be ready around five. I'll let you finish things up." She walked over to the door and stopped before turning around to look at the pilot. "I hate seeing you beat yourself up. Just remember what I said." Quatre nodded and watched as Lista walked out of the room.

* * *

Heero stood by the huge window in Relena's office. He looked out at the night sky. The stars were twinkling like diamonds in front of a black curtain. He looked over at Relena, watching her as she read over some documents. "Did anything happen during the meeting with the leaders and representatives?" he asked in a low voice.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired, not looking up from her reading.

"There was a lot of talk when they exited the room. Some of them seemed concerned about what was going on. Why is that?"

Relena sighed and explained to him what Owen had said during the meeting. Heero's eyes hardened. "Remind me again why you chose this man to be your second in command?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "The stuff that comes out of his mouth is questionable. Where do his loyalties lie?"

"He had a good reputation during the war. He does say some things that are out of line, but he knows what he is doing," Relena explained. "I have seen him in action, and he stands firmly on our goal."

Heero looked back out the window. "I hope you are right."

Relena smiled and went back to her work. "You need to stop worrying."

He didn't say anything. His lips became a thin line. He just couldn't shake off the vibe that Owen was giving out. Something in the back of his mind was telling him that something was off. He had to find out more about Owen to ensure that another war wasn't on the horizon and that Relena would remain safe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Casey and Amanda walked down the hall of the school, side by side. With the prom happening in a few days, the students were busy talking about their plans for the big night. That didn't exclude Amanda. She went on listing all the things that they would need for the dance. They already had their dresses. All that was left were the shoes, which Casey just shook her head. She had to be the only girl in the school who wasn't making such a big deal out of this. As they neared the cafeteria, Casey heard Duo's voice.

"Yeah. I had a Gundam during the war. The name was Deathscythe," he told Ben. The two men were standing outside of the entrance to the lunch room.

Casey stopped in her tracks and looked at the braided haired man. Ben's eyes widened in terror when he saw Casey's face. Duo turned his body and saw that she was standing a few feet away from him, fury in her eyes.

"Why, you son of a bitch," she growled, her body trembling with rage. The next thing everyone knew, she was pinning Duo against the far wall. "You lying piece of shit! You told me you were just a plain soldier…" Tears started to well up in her eyes uncontrollably. Her blood was boiling. How could he do this to her? "I opened myself up to you…" The pain that she felt in her heart was too much to bear, the feeling of being betrayed again and lied to. She was foolish to believe that this man was any different.

Duo tried to calm her down. He watched as tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks. She had a hurt expression on her face. He felt her hands tremble from where she grabbed his shirt collar. He should have told her the truth from the very start, instead of hiding it from her. He thought he was doing the right thing.

"Casey…" Amanda walked behind her friend, slowly.

"No!" the red-head shouted. "All you scumbags are the same!" She glared at Duo, wanting to punch him. "Never come near me again. If you do, I'll make sure you can't get up from the ground." She released him and stomped away from the area. Onlookers watching her go.

Ben asked if Duo was okay. Other students had gathered by the entrance of the cafeteria.

"Uh… should I get the principal or something?" one of the students asked.

Duo shook his head and watched as Casey walked further away with Amanda not too far behind.

Amanda caught up to Casey and pulled her to the side. Luckily no one was in the hall that they were in.

"What do you want? There is nothing more to discuss," Casey said.

Amanda clenched her teeth. This was getting out of hand. She was sick of Casey going around and blaming people for something that they didn't even do. It was tiring and frustrating. Something snapped inside of her as she slapped Casey across the face. Enough was enough. Casey looked at her friend in shock.

"Stop being such a brat! Do you honestly think that he lives a cozy life? That he doesn't feel guilty? He was going to tell you about the Gundam eventually," Amanda said, her voice shaking in anger.

"Wait… you knew about his Gundam?" Casey asked, almost in disbelief.

"Of course I did. He was upset when he found out what happened to your father, as if he was the one who killed him."

Casey looked at her friend with wide eyes. "Do you think he was the one?"

Amanda grounded her teeth. "I don't know. That's something that you have to ask him for yourself. Stop being a bitch. Not all soldiers are bad people. They serve because they want to make a difference. Duo isn't a bad person, and I know you know that deep down inside."

Casey looked to her side. "I have to be alone for a bit," she said and walked the opposite direction. Amanda sighed and looked at the hand that she used to slap her best friend.

Back at the cafeteria, Duo was eating lunch with Ben, who kept on asking if his friend was okay after Casey's outburst. Duo smiled and nodded, but the guilt still weighed heavily on his shoulders. Amanda entered the room and headed straight for the braided soldier. Duo looked up and, without exchanging words to her, got up from his seat. The two of them walked out onto the patio that was just outside the cafeteria. Duo leaned up against a tree trunk. Amanda explained to him what had transpired after Casey walked away from him.

"I can't believe you slapped her," Duo said in disbelief. "Did she retaliate?"

Amanda shook her head. "She would never do that to me." The brunette sighed. "I was just so frustrated, and my patience was running thin. I acted before I could stop myself." She remembered the look on Casey's face. "I think I got to her, though. In some odd way."

"I kind of figured she would find out about the Gundam before I got to talk to her," he sighed, rubbing his temple with his hand. "I guess she really hates me now." Amanda looked at him with a melancholy expression, knowing that it might be the truth. "Don't worry about it. I got this far, didn't I? Maybe she'll come around. She just needs space and time."

"I hope you're right, Duo," Amanda said in a low voice. "I hope you're right."

Throughout the rest of the day, Casey avoided Duo like the plague. Amanda didn't talk to her much, either. What a mess this was. At the end of the day, she went to the gym for her normal training routine. She had to do something to keep her mind occupied. A thought entered her head. Would Duo show his face? The training went on, and he never made an appearance. She punched the padded wall with a yell. Tears fell from her eyes as she punched the wall again in anger. She sat down on the floor and wiped the tears from her face.

Her heart ached. Why did she care so much? The uncertainty of the situation was giving her a headache. She sniffed as she remembered what her best friend said. Was she really being a bitch? It was true that Duo just wanted to get to know her. She remembered the story about his past. Was it all true? It had to be. The look of pain that he had on his face that day was not an act.

She got up from the floor and packed up her things. There was no way that she could continue in the state that she was in. She exited the room, knowing that she had some serious thinking to do.

* * *

Lista sat at the kitchen table with her laptop open in front of her. She entered code after code, along with multiple passwords. She got nothing. Whatever she did, she was brought to a dead end. She took a sip of her red wine and sighed in defeat. Maybe the whole shuttle thing wasn't as big of a deal as they thought.

"But if that's the case, why do I have this sinking feeling?" she asked herself.

She tried one more code and password. When that didn't work, she closed her laptop and dialed Sally's number. She had to tell her comrade that she couldn't access any private files, if there were any linking to the shuttles.

"Hello?"

"Sally, it's Lista," she said. "I've tried every trick in the book. I got nothing." Lista ran her hand through her dark hair. She felt like a failure to some degree. Wufei definitely wouldn't let her hear the end of it, either.

"It's okay, Lista. Thanks for trying," Sally said on the other line.

"Yeah… no problem. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Lista ended the call and rested her head on the table.

* * *

Casey entered the house and headed straight up the stairs to her room. She set her bag down on the floor than sat down on her bed. Her hands covered her face as she took in deep breaths. She felt horrible. She looked up when she heard a light knock on her door. Alfred was standing in the doorway, a tray of food in his hand.

"Hey, Alfred," she said, her voice low.

"You seem troubled," the older man said as he walked into the room. "I thought it would be best if I brought you your dinner." He set the tray down on her desk. On the silver tray was a plate of roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes. It was one of Casey's favorite meals. Alfred then turned his attention to her. "May I ask what is going on now?"

She looked at her clasped hands that were resting on her lap. "I might've over reacted with someone."

"What did you do?" Alfred inquired. Casey told him about what had happened at the school. She also mentioned how Amanda slapped her and told her to chill out. Alfred shook his head and smiled. "Never a dull moment."

"What do I do?" Casey asked. The horrible feeling was not going away. In fact, she felt embarrassed.

"I can tell that you feel bad about what happened. In my opinion, you should go and apologize to the young man you hurt." Deep down Casey knew Alfred was right. She nodded her head in agreement. "That's a good girl. Everything will be all right."

Alfred patted Casey on her shoulder before leaving her alone. After taking in a deep breath and then sighing, she got up and walked over to her dinner. She sat down at her desk and slowly ate the delicious usually stopped at his locker before his math class. That's when she'd decided to grab him and apologize.

* * *

The next day at school, Casey dodged the students in the hall. She was trying to get to her destination before it was too late. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Duo still at his locker. He turned to her as she approached him. She avoided his gaze. "Hey, can we talk for a bit?" she asked. Her cheeks were bright red. Duo agreed without question. The two of them walked to the side of the stairs. Casey's cheeks were still bright red as she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Duo looked at her with kind eyes, waiting for whatever she wanted to talk about.

"I'm… sorry… for my behavior yesterday." she murmured. He almost had trouble understanding her. "I don't see you as a bad person." She felt so embarrassed telling him all of this. Not to mention she hated to admit when she was in the wrong. There was just too much going on in her head at the moment. She looked to her side. "If you still want to go to the dance, I'll go… with you."

 _Well, this is a surprise,_ Duo thought to himself as he smiled warmly at her. He didn't think she would come to him so soon, if at all. "I accept your apology, and I would be ecstatic if you went to the dance with me."

She looked up at him and saw that he was grinning at her. She cleared her throat and thanked him.

* * *

Marcus entered a large garage area that had mobile dolls lined up on each side of the room. The young man found Owen standing in front of one of them. The older man expressed how pleased he was on how they came out. Marcus explained to him about the weapons each suit possessed. The Andromedas were equipped with beam rifles. The Cygnus suits had beam sabers, one in each hand.

"Just like you ordered. All of them are made of gundanium. It took a while for us to track down a supplier. Fortunately we found a black market dealer," Marcus explained. "We just needed to put protective shields over the supply so they wouldn't get detected. We had a few close calls."

"The leaders will be at the Invana Hall at precisely nineteen hundred sharp. We must get everything ready hours beforehand," Owen said, not taking his eyes off the mobile suit in front of him. He noticed that the Cygnus doll had what looked like wings on the back.

Marcus saluted the older man. "Oh. Before I forget, Shane's waiting for you at the office."

Owen simply nodded his head and, without a word, headed over to his next destination.

Shane, a man in his early forties, was standing with his hands behind his back. He examined the office. There wasn't much to it. There was a polished mahogany desk that was in the middle of the room. A decent sized window was to the right. There were no paintings or photos on the walls. One lone bookcase was by the entrance. A very plain office it was.

Shane walked over to the desk and discovered blueprints resting on the surface. It grabbed his attention as he studied the details. He didn't even realize that Owen had entered the office. A smile was on his face.

"I see that you have found what I wanted to talk to you about," he said.

"It's pretty interesting," Shane said. "Where on Earth did you obtain these prints?"

"They were originally from an old friend who sadly passed a few years ago. I would like to know if you could make his ideas a reality."

Shane looked down at the prints and contemplated. He went over what parts he would need in order to make the suit. "The gundanium is going to be tough. Since the last war, that material has been scarce."

"We have plenty. According to my main man, we found a stock in the black market. It's an advanced material, too. You do not need to worry about that," Owen said with a smug look on his face. "And that's not all. I want a system that mimics that of the Zero system. I've heard so many stories about this program, and it intrigues me. It could be another element for battle. Think about it. People who have no battle experience could pilot mobile suits."

"I am aware of the Zero system. I have also heard about the dangers that the system could create," Shane replied. "I don't think it's a good idea. Someone could die."

Owen scoffed. "It'll be fine. Once Relena is out of the picture, I'll be running the show." The younger man couldn't argue and took the prints in his hands.

"I will do my best with these," Shane said and exited the room, uncertainty lingering with him.

* * *

Noon approached, and Relena was finalizing everything for the meeting. Heero was standing in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest, as usual. "I still don't trust that Owen person."

Relena placed her pen down and looked over at him. "He hasn't said anything else. I know that you are worried, but he has been very helpful putting this meeting together. He wants us to succeed," she said. Heero merely sighed and looked at her in the eyes. She got up from her seat and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his cheek. "You know I'm a risk taker."

"You're stubborn," he said flatly. He took her hand off of him and leaned in closer. "I will do whatever it takes to protect you, but you also have to be cautious, as well."

Relena blushed and smiled. She nodded her head and kissed him softly on the lips. His hands dropped to her waist, holding them in place as he kissed her back.

* * *

Duo stood in front of a full-length mirror, straightening his red tie. His black suit still fit him. It made him look sharp, smooth. He slipped his feet into his shiny black dress shoes that he had purchased that day. Hilde was leaning up against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Not bad, Mr. Maxwell," she commented and handed him the corsage. "Have fun. I want to hear all about it. Oh, and don't get into any trouble." She winked at him.

Duo gave her his signature grin. "Who, me? Never."

"I can't believe that girl apologized to you," Hilde said. "When you told me what happened, I thought that was it."

"Trust me, I thought the same way. But she admitted that she was wrong. She's not all _that_ bad."

"I guess not. Well, I'll look over things in the meantime. No need to worry," she said.

"I never worry when it comes to you and this place. Other things? Maybe." He checked his outfit one last time before he headed out.

* * *

Casey looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a sea foam green satin dress with a golden border around the waist. One side of the dress had white organza. The straps were thin with two white beads on each strap. Her red hair was half up and half down. Some loose strands cascaded from the sides of her face. The thought of wearing makeup made her cringe, so she only put on the bare minimum. Alfred smiled at her from behind as if he were the proud parent. Casey frowned as she moved within the dress.

"I feel _very_ uncomfortable right now. It's as if the person in the mirror is not me," she stated. The dress was Amanda's idea and choice. However, Casey chose to wear flats. There was no way she was wearing heels. That would be a disaster just waiting to happen.

Alfred approached her. "I think you look stunning," he complimented. "A real catch, if you ask me." He revealed a golden necklace to her. He placed it around her neck, noticing the shock on her face.

"It belonged to my daughter. She died when she was fifteen from heart complications," he explained.

Casey placed a hand on the necklace. "I can't take this…" She looked at him in disbelief.

"After my daughter's death, I was so angry at the medical team for not saving her. I accused them for not doing their best. However, after some years had passed, the anger lessened. I knew deep down that I couldn't stay mad. I knew that the doctors did everything in their power to save her."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked in a low voice.

"What I am saying, my dear, is that you have to let go of some things," he simply said. "Your father died trying to protect people. You have to give other people a chance. Keeping a grudge is not healthy for the mind or body. Living in the past isn't good, either."

She looked away. "Well, that's easier said than done."

With a chuckle, Alfred embraced her. "With every bad thing comes a good thing. I lost my daughter, but you have become like a daughter to me over the years. She will always be with me, but you have filled that small gap."

Casey started to tear up. "Thank you, Alfred."

The two turned as a knock emanated from the door. Alfred opened the front door and found Duo standing there, hands in his pant pocket.

The Gundam pilot smiled. "Good evening, sir. Is Casey ready?" Alfred smiled at the young man and nodded. Casey walked to the door, her cheeks bright red. Duo stood there with his eyes wide and mouth partly open. She looked amazing. The dress was perfect as it hugged her figure. The makeup wasn't too much, which he was thankful for. He always did go for the natural look. He never thought that he would get a chance to see her in an actual dress. From what he heard from Amanda, it was a challenge. He swallowed and nodded back at Alfred. He held out his hand to her. "Shall we go?"

Casey didn't say anything and took Duo's hand, allowing him to guide her to the limo.

She got in first and looked around the inside of the vehicle. The seats were made of leather. There were purple lights that outlined the roof of the car. She noticed a small fridge on the side. "How did you manage to get a limo?"

Duo grinned as he got comfortable in his seat. "I have my way. Did you forget that I have a little business of my own?" She thought back to the past conversations that they had. She vaguely recalled him saying something about a scrap business that he ran with a friend. "Just relax and enjoy the evening." He only got a small nod from her, but that was better than nothing.

* * *

The dance was held at the fancy hotel of Invana. The hall was decorated with silver and blue. Balloons were at each table that were covered in blue silk tablecloths. The tall white stone pillars that stood proud on each side of the room had blue streamers wrapped around them. Students dressed in fancy dresses and suits gathered at the tables. Some headed over to the long tables in the back that held the beverages and appetizers. The DJ was mixing jams to the far right corner in the back.

Casey and Duo arrived to the event, standing side by side. She had the corsage on her right wrist. Duo spotted their friends at one of the tables in the middle of the room. As they approached the couple, Amanda got up and greeted the two. She had a long, flowing pink satin sleeveless dress. A white beaded belt was around her waist. It was a very elegant dress. Her hair was up in a bun and she had silver earrings that dangled from her ears. Just like Duo, Ben was in a simple suit and blue tie.

"I just love, love, love your dress!" Amanda said ecstatically, hugging her friend.

Casey eyed her. "You were the one who picked it out for me," she said dryly.

Duo laughed. "You have good taste, Amanda. I highly approve." Casey elbowed him in the ribs before taking a seat.

"You do look great," Ben complimented with a smile.

Casey blushed and looked to her left. She thanked him in a low voice. Amanda and Duo both looked at each other with smiles on their faces before joining the other two at the table.

* * *

Relena stood before the tall window, watching as students filed out of cars in groups. She didn't know that there was going to be an event happening down below. She turned her head when she heard footsteps entering the room. The various leaders of the different countries of Earth took a seat around the large glass table. Owen stood to the side, taking note of everybody that entered the room. Heero stood outside of the room.

Relena walked over to the head of the table. "Welcome, everyone," she greeted with a smile. She went into her briefcase and took out a stack of papers. "I hope everyone had a good trip out here. The reason why I chose this place was for all of you to get an idea of what it's like out here in space." She looked at the men in front of her. "I'm sure some of you have been to outer space before."

One leader nodded. "Yes. I always enjoyed the beauty of the colonies whenever I visit."

"I agree, but the Earth has its natural beauty and people," said another leader. "That is something that cannot be replaced."

Owen scoffed to himself at the last comment. It was not a secret that a lot of people from the colonies weren't born from natural births. At that time, the dangers of giving birth in space were high. However, there was much more to the colonies that the Earth could never give.

Relena went to explain her peace action plan. She wanted no more tension between the two environments. People came to space as a choice, not against their will. There should be no walls between Mother Earth and space.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The dance floor was flooded with students. Duo was in the center, doing some weird flips. Casey sat in one of the chairs, watching everyone have fun. She checked her watch that was in front of her corsage. Only an hour had passed? She sighed. Parties weren't really her thing. The music was blasting in her ear, too. If she went deaf because of this party, she was going to be pissed. She snapped out of her thoughts when the loud upbeat tune turned into a slow melody. Duo walked toward her as Ben and Amanda started to slow dance in a different part of the room.

"Dance with me?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

"I don't dance," Casey said flatly, her cheeks a tint of pink. "I'm not very good."

"Then I'll lead," Duo said and took her hand. "It's not that hard."

He pulled her up from her seat and held her against him. He placed her hands where they needed to be and started to move to the melody. A couple of times she stepped on his foot. How embarrassing. She looked up and noticed that he was looking at her. Feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, she averted her gaze. She could feel some eyes staring at them. Duo chuckled to himself and commented that she was not bad as she said she was. The red-head didn't say anything and just let him lead her. After the song stopped, she pushed herself from him.

"Let's go outside for a bit," he suggested. "Get some fresh air." She shrugged her shoulders and followed him out.

The night air was cool with little breeze. The twinkling stars watched the couple as they walked further from the building. Casey didn't know what to say or do. Well, that was a lie. She wanted to leave and go home. Sighing once more, she looked up at the twinkling sky. She was definitely outside of her comfort zone. Duo stretched his arms out and sighed with content. So far the evening was going pretty well.

"What a beautiful night," he commented. He headed toward the white painted gazebo that was in the center. "I do miss the Earth and its beauty." He looked at the moon.

Casey leaned against the structure and agreed. "I was born on Earth but came to the colony when I was very little. I still remember doing a lot of things outdoors," she said. An unwelcomed flashback appeared in her mind, but she shook it off. "Then again, it's best to stay away from it all…"

Duo turned to her, picking up on the melancholy tone in her voice. He gently grabbed her shoulders. "There's another reason why you don't like soldiers, isn't there? Your father's death is only part of it, right? What is it?" Casey tried to break free from his hold, but failed. She could have easily dropkicked him and then leave, but she couldn't. "I already proved to you that I am not like that."

"How… do I know that for sure?" she whispered. A dark shadow loomed over her face. "Jonathan said those things to get close to me. He knew… he knew that I had a small crush on him. Or so I thought. He used that to his advantage because he knew… he knew that my father as working on a Gundam of his own…"

Her father was working on a Gundam of his own? Apparently it didn't happen or else they would have known. He disregarded that piece of information for now. "I'm assuming this Jonathan person was a soldier?"

Casey nodded. "They were alike. He and my father formed some kind of bond. At that time I was totally content, even though he avoided me as the weeks went on. I finally confronted him one day and he told me that he had no desire for me, that I was a fool to think that he would like someone who was so pathetic. He thanked me for letting him get close to my father. After that, something in me snapped. I hated the soldiers that I met because all I saw was greed. One day Jonathan disappeared. He probably got his fill of what he wanted. My father spent more of his time on his stupid Gundam planning than with me. Whenever he had the free time he would shut himself in his office. We got into a fight right before he set off for that colony. I told him that I never wanted to speak to him again and that my life had no meaning. Of course I didn't mean it. I said it out of anger."

Casey looked at the ground. She had just poured herself out to him. Amanda didn't even know about that scumbag on Earth. Just the very thought of him made her heart ache and her blood boil with rage.

Duo moved in front of her. He lifted her chin up with his hand and looked into her shimmering, chocolate brown eyes. Finally he got the answer he was looking for. Finally he knew her past and the reason why she was so cold and distant. That didn't mean that he was ecstatic. He wanted to find this Jonathan person and make him pay for being such an ass. Pushing the feeling of anger back, he redirected his attention to the young woman in front of him.

"You are _not_ pathetic. You are a very strong woman," he whispered. "I like you, Case."

Casey's eyes opened wide and she swung her hand up to smack him, but he caught her wrist. "I told you _not_ to call me that!"

"Why? Did that asshole call you that?" he asked, not leaving her gaze.

"My father did, too," she said. Duo let go of her wrist and apologized. "Why? I haven't told anyone about this, not even Amanda. Why you? What the hell are you?"

"I don't know the answer to that," he replied frankly. "I have been told many times that I have that impact on people. Is it true? Who's to say? But what I do know is that you are a good person who has been hurt by war. I guess that is something that we both have in common." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I have a saying: I may run and I may hide, but I will never tell a lie. I meant it when I said that I liked you and that I would protect you."

Slowly, he bent over and gently pressed his lips against hers. Casey's eyes widened, but she didn't move as she felt her body go limp. It seemed as if time had stopped, that all of her troubles ceased. They stood in place by the gazebo, under the starry sky.

* * *

Heero stood at the huge window in the hallway that showed the front of the building. He spotted a few teens down below, laughing and having a good time. They were normal teenagers, something that he would never be. His ears perked up when he heard soft paddling coming from behind him. He could hear a buzzing sound, and in the window's reflection, a man was standing behind him. He turned around, but it was too late. He felt a surge of electricity go through his body. He looked down and saw a taser gun in the man's hand. Darkness engulfed him as he fell to the ground.

A man brought tea and coffee for everyone in the meeting. He handed Owen a cup, which the older man nodded. Relena expressed her gratitude to the leaders on agreeing to work with her toward the pacifism that she was seeking. It definitely was a step up. She explained that she would be making more frequent trips between the two worlds. She took a sip of her black tea and continued to talk. Owen watched as each member of the Earth followed suit. A smirk formed on his lips. Within a few minutes everyone that was once sitting up was resting their heads on the smooth table surface. The same man who handed out the drinks entered the room.

"That boy that was out in the hall is out cold. He was dragged downstairs and out of sight. The bomb is set to go off when ready," he told Owen.

"Leave him there. I don't have the need for him. He'll die with the rest. Take Relena and get her out of here. I'll follow behind you as soon as I hit the button," Owen instructed.

The man nodded and very gently took the unconscious young woman out of the room.

"Now it begins."

* * *

Casey stood alone at the gazebo. She unconsciously placed her pointer and middle fingers to her lips. She could still feel the warmth of the kiss, the softness of his lips. Her heart raced faster with each thought.

"I got you some punch," Duo said as he walked to her, holding a cup in each hand. "I figured that you would be thirsty. Amanda and Ben are like dancing animals in there."

"She always liked to dance," Casey stated. "Even when we were kids, she would try to get me to join her dance class. Of course I always told her no. I have two left feet that don't listen."

"Well, you didn't do half bad with your first dance with me," Duo complimented with a wide smile, minus the sore toe on his left foot. Casey flushed and looked away. "Now you get shy? After all that we've been through?"

Casey swatted him in the back of the head. "Who says I'm shy? I just don't know what to think yet…"

Duo glanced over and saw that her face was completely cherry red. It was cute. Just then a loud blast broke through both their thoughts. A cloud of black smoke could be seen rising up from a certain part of the building. Screams and shouts of panic and terror filled the air as both Duo and Casey raced toward the smoking building.

"What happened?!" Duo asked as he stopped a girl from running past him.

"I-I don't know. All of a sudden… there was a loud explosion," the girl said, tears running down her cheeks.

Casey watched as students ran out of the area in fear. She clenched her hands into fists as she dashed inside the building. Students crashed into her as she made her way to the hall that held the dance. Her heart was racing against her chest as she scanned the premises. "Amanda! Benjamin!" she yelled as she dodged more bodies. She finally got through the main doors of the hall when she stopped dead in her tracks. The brunette was on her knees by a body that was crushed under a fallen pillar.

Casey ran to her friend and saw that it was Ben's lifeless form in front of her. Amanda cried hysterically next to her, crying out Ben's name over and over. A river of blood was trailing from the body and pooled around where Amanda was kneeling. Between the sight of her deceased friend and the blood, Casey felt sick to her stomach. Her best friend's cries were piercing her ears, making her heart break into two.

With a shaky hand, she bent down next to Amanda. "We have to get out of here," she said in a shaky voice. She pulled her friend up from the ground. There was blood dripping from the bottom of her dress. Casey guided her to the exit. Once outside, Amanda fell to her knees again, crying hysterically once more.

Duo ran up to them and stopped when he saw the blood on Amanda's dress. "Where's Ben?" he asked. Casey grabbed him by the arm, tears of her own running down her cheeks. All she did was shake her head, and he knew right away what had happened. He carefully picked Amanda up from the ground bridal style. The brunette sobbed into the crook of his neck. "Let's get her cleaned up. I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do."

Nodding her head in silence, Casey followed him away from the carnage.

* * *

A newscaster read off a report about the explosion that had occurred the previous day. She stated that the leaders that attended a meeting had all been killed. Ten students from the Baker High School had also been killed during the time of the explosion. The television turned off and Owen turned toward his guest. Relena was tied up and sitting on a cream-colored sofa. A look of resentment and confusion could be seen on her face.

"Such a shame," Owen said as he walked over to the window. "I really liked those men. Too bad for the students, though. I didn't know that there was a dance happening at the same time."

"Why are you doing this?" Relena asked. "Why kill innocent people? I don't get it."

Owen laughed. "My dear Relena. There were no innocent people."

"Have you gone mad or something?" she asked.

Owen grinned and walked over to her. "Let me tell you a little tale. When I was a little kid, my family was a part of the Sanc Kingdom. That's right. My father was part of the royal guard. I guess you could say that it runs in the family." He chuckled to himself. "However, my father made a mistake and risked the royal family's safety. Of course, he didn't mean to. He was set up. Instead of listening to him, King Peacecraft banished my family from the kingdom, our home. There was no place to go. My mother died of illness with my father following right after."

"I have heard it differently. Your father gave away important information regarding our kingdom. Luckily the person was caught before anything bad could happen," Relena stated matter-of-factly.

"But of course you would agree with your family, Relena Peacecraft. I suffered on that wretched planet until I was able to make something of myself," Owen explained bitterly.

"What do you want, Owen? Or better yet, what are you after?" she calmly asked.

"Why, it's simple, really. Step down as leader, Miss Peacecraft. If you refuse, then more people are going to die because of you." Owen said as he pointed his finger at her.

Relena stared at the older man hard then scoffed. "People are going to die anyway. Why not kill me instead? It will save you the trouble," she said.

"Because I know you. You aren't afraid of death. Why would I do something like that when I could have you watch the fallen of the Earth?"

"You're crazy. Heero was right about you. I was a fool not to see it."

"Do you agree on my terms, Miss Peacecraft?" Owen asked in a hard tone. She reluctantly nodded her head. A pleased smile graced his lips. "Fantastic." He turned back to the window. "I will let you go in due time. For now, enjoy your stay."

He walked out of the room in one swift motion. Relena looked at the window in front of her. There was no mention of Heero on the news. Even so, she had a feeling that he was still alive out there. The others would get word of what had happened and take action. Owen was no match for the Gundam pilots.

* * *

Heero sat against the ruined building holding his back. A thin line of blood trailed down his face from his head. He looked up at the darkened sky. During the day, he tried his best to avoid the investigators. He could remember waking up to the explosion, the falling pieces of ceiling and the black smoke that entered his lungs. He dodged falling debris and managed to make his way up the stairs of the building. The fear that he felt as he made his way to where Relena was, was overwhelming. He could hear screams in the distance. He got to the room and found absolutely nothing left. The table and the leaders had fallen to the bottom level. He ground his teeth together. No. Relena had to be taken somewhere.

Getting up on shaky legs, he headed for the opposite direction. He had to find her.

* * *

Wufei watched some clips from the surveillance cameras over and over. The hotel managed to get some recordings throughout that night. His brows furrowed in annoyance.

"There is no word on Relena's whereabouts or if she was even in the room when the explosion went off. Heero has gone missing, as well," Lista said from the doorway to the reading room. "We are trying to track him down. Both Sally and I agree that he's still alive somewhere out there." Even though they agreed that the Gundam pilot was alive, that didn't mean she didn't feel uneasy.

"You both are wasting your time. Heero's first priority is to seek out the leader. If anything he might come to us for help, but I seriously doubt that," Wufei commented, not taking his eyes off the screens.

"That's why we are trying to find him. This wasn't just some old attack."

"Tell me something, do you always say things that are obvious?" Wufei asked, making the woman glare at him. Wufei ignored the look and continued to say that his main focus was to find any clues as to what had happened, who they were dealing with. He paused the recording and looked closely at the monitor. A man that was wearing all black was walking into the building with two very large briefcases. "This might be a clue," he said mostly to himself. He played the scene over and over, watching the man look around the area before taking out what looked like a cell phone. "I can't really make out his face… damn it."

"Let's not give up. I'm sure if we give it to someone else, they could play around with the shots," Lista suggested. Wufei scoffed at her. "Stop being such a stubborn pain in the ass for once. It's at least something." It was times like these that she just wanted to slap him over the head.

Wufei didn't say a word before getting up from his seat, making it known that he was irritated. Not that Lista cared or anything. He left the room while Lista looked down at the screen of the still shot.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Relena agreed to step down from her position as leader. Not that she had a choice in the matter. People's lives were on the line, but she wasn't going to give up so easily. She sat on the bed and watched the television as Owen walked in front of a crowd. The room that she was escorted to was locked with two guards standing outside of the room. She felt her stomach churn as Owen started to speak.

"I'm afraid that because of the explosion, we are not certain if Miss Relena is alive. So it is with a heavy heart that I, as the second in command, take responsibility as leader," Owen said, trying his hardest not to smile. An explosion of questions erupted. People asked if there were any leads on what happened. Others were questioning his right to step up so quickly. Owen sighed and tried to answer each question. Of course, he dodged the ones questioning his choice. "I assure you all that, with me here, justice will be served."

With that last statement, Relena's stomach dropped. She had to figure out a way out of her prison before things got out of hand.

* * *

The ceremony for the fallen students was held at the cemetery. Everyone was dressed in black. Casey looked over at her friend and saw that she was staring at Ben's grave, a blank expression on her face. Tears ran down the brunette's cheeks as speeches were being made. Her heart ached for her friend. The fact that she couldn't do anything made her more upset about the situation. Duo looked at the graves of the students, his mind churning. He knew deep down inside that it wasn't just some explosion that had happened. He watched and read the news when he could. The lack of evidence was bothersome. He had to contact Lista and see if she had found anything.

After the last speech, everyone went their separate ways. Casey, who totally forgot that Duo was standing by her, ran to Amanda. The brunette smiled weakly as the red-head approached her.

"I'm fine," Amanda said, trying to reassure her friend.

"No. I don't buy that," Casey said as she shook her head. "I can see right through you."

"Casey, my father was killed in battle, protecting the ones he loved. Ben did the same thing. He saved my life," Amanda said softly. The image of Ben pushing her out of the way from the falling pillar played in her mind like a film that was stuck on repeat. She didn't have time to even think before she hit the floor hard. When she looked, she saw his body under the stone. "It hurts to the point where my heart is breaking apart. I didn't even say goodbye to him…" She wiped the oncoming tears from her eyes. "I keep telling myself… that I am here because of him. That he died a hero… my hero…"

"That's why I didn't want him to go into the military, for this particular reason," Casey stated.

"What difference does it make? Here or out there on the field? No one knows when they are going to die, Casey. He wanted to be like his father, a person with honor." Casey didn't say anything, for she knew her friend was right. "Go to Duo. It looks like he's waiting for you. My mom is picking me up. I'll talk to you later."

Amanda walked in the opposite direction. Casey watched her for a bit before feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that Duo was beside her.

"She's a strong person," he said, looking forward. "I'll give her that much."

Casey sighed. "She's hurting more than she is letting on."

Duo agreed and took his hand off of her shoulder. "I have to go, as well. There are some important things that I have to take care of," he said, his tone serious. Casey looked at him warily. "I'm not saying a thing, but you need to be careful."

"You know what happened, don't you? Are you responsible?" she asked, eyeing him cautiously.

Duo looked at Casey seriously. "I don't know what happened, but I have a sick feeling inside. Don't forget, I'm still a soldier. I don't want to put you in danger if it is something dire."

Casey glared at Duo but didn't say anything. He was right. Regardless if he was a student, he was still a soldier of war. If anything were to happen, he would have to go into battle. She just hoped that wasn't going to be the case.

* * *

Owen stood before a finished Gundam that was standing tall and proud. It was a shiny deep crimson red with white legs and arms. Under its feet it had blasters that could make it fly. The giant energy axe was mounted on its back. It was like getting a shiny new car. A smirk formed on his lips.

Shane approached him. His outfit was covered with oil stains. "Did we meet your expectations? I followed the blue prints to a T."

Owen clasped his hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's fantastic!" Owen explained. "What about the program that I asked?" The older man was as giddy as a five year old on their birthday.

"It's wired into the Gundam. Of course, we had to do some modifications. We couldn't get it to be exactly like that Zero system, but it's a close replica," Shane explained.

Owen smiled widened. "You did good, son."

The younger man looked at the new leader. "May I ask what exactly you plan to do with the Gundam?"

"It'll be the ultimate weapon of destruction," Owen boasted. "The people of the Earth have nothing against this thing. I will get my revenge, and then space will be the only place to live. I will be the leader of it all!"

Shane swallowed hard, not sure if he should be asking any more questions. "Um… who is going to pilot the Gundam, sir?"

"Oh. I already have someone in mind. That's why I had you put that program in. This person won't know how to pilot it. The program will do most of the work," Owen replied. "It'll be in honor of my deceased friend." Shane saluted and excused himself. He exited the room with a sense of nervousness presenting itself.

A darkened figure moved within the shadows of the Gundam. "Were you able to locate the woman?" Owen asked the shadowed figure.

"Yes, I have," they replied.

"There is no way this can go bad. I have the bait and the tool," Owen smirked.

* * *

Duo dialed a number on his cell phone and waited for the person to pick up. A feminine voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Lissy," Duo greeted his old friend.

"Duo! What a surprise," she said. She was sitting on an armchair in the living room. "I didn't think that you would call so soon."

Duo's brows furrowed with his expression completely serious. "Did you guys find any clues on to what happened that night of the explosion?" He bit his lower lip. "Listen, Lissy. One of my friends died during that incident along with other students. He protected the one that he loved. It was awful watching my friends break down in tears." He then smiled a little bit. "Will you listen to me? I'm sounding like I haven't seen death and sorrow before. Maybe this lifestyle is making me soft."

"I-I'm sorry, Duo," she said softly. "We did find two men that had the explosives. Unfortunately, they won't talk. They are prepared to die than spill anything. We also found out that there was an attack in London, as well. I'm sorry, Duo. I was meaning to contact you. It looks like mobile dolls were spotted."

"Mobile dolls?! Are you serious?! On Earth?!" Duo exclaimed. Lista explained that Lady Une was trying to contact the leader of that part of the country. So far, there was no answer on what exactly was going on. Not yet, at least. "We need our Gundams." Duo was talking more to himself.

"You guys don't have them anymore. Remember?" Lista said.

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing. This is serious," Duo said, clenching his fist. Then he remembered about Relena's disappearance. "What about Relena? Have you heard from Heero?"

"We haven't received a word from him. I do, however, think that he's still alive somewhere," she answered. "Where? I don't know. We are also trying to locate Trowa."

"We should meet somewhere," he insisted.

"No. You should stay there. The people might need you," she advised.

"I don't like this," he said. "I don't like this one bit."

"Neither do I, but we must keep a level head. If there is danger by you, at least you can do something to protect the people there."

"I couldn't protect Ben or those nine other students."

Lista frowned. "I know. I'm really sorry about your friend. We'll keep in touch, okay?"

Duo agreed and said goodbye before ending the call. If he didn't feel sick before, he did now.

* * *

"I can't get a hold of anyone!" Lady Une shouted in frustration. "The quantities of dolls that are flying to Earth are increasing by the loads. Who is behind this, and why is this all happening all of a sudden? Why England?"

"Whomever it is saw their chance after the explosion," Noin replied. "The people who I caught still haven't told us who they were working for."

"Those punks would rather die than spill the beans," Lady Une said.

Noin remembered capturing the two men. They were easy to take down. However, while in interrogation they just sat there, smug looks on their beat up faces. Their lips were sealed shut. She turned to Une. "Is there any word on Relena's whereabouts?" Une just shook her head sadly. Noin looked out of the window, wondering where Zechs was right now. She hadn't seen him in a while. Was he on Earth? They could use another set of hands.

"Whatever the case, we have to be prepared to fight," Une said. "Get the men and see how many mobile dolls we have on standby."

"We are going to attack?" Noin asked.

"We have some troops there already. They are doing their best to make sure no more destruction falls. It's the only thing that we can do at the moment," Une replied with a clench of her fist.

Noin saluted to her leader and exited the room, leaving Lady Une to her thoughts. It surely didn't take that long for someone to disturb the peace.

* * *

School had let out early for the day. Casey was standing on the sidewalk that was in front of the school. Amanda went home by herself, not really speaking to anyone, which was understandable. The days seemed to drag on. She looked up at the holographic sky, deep in thought. Not much was said between the two female friends. It was just a general greeting here and there. Amanda did tell Casey that she was seeing a therapist, which was a good idea. She missed her cheerful friend. A thought struck her. Was that how it was for Amanda? Her friend always mentioned how Casey had changed from when they were little. She felt someone behind her and a fist went flying, making contact with Duo's cheek.

She saw who it was and quickly pulled her hand back. "Duo! Sorry! I didn't realize it was you," she apologized.

"So you just go punching random people?" he asked as he rubbed the sore spot on his cheek.

"If I had to," she replied. "It was self defense. Are you okay?"

"I'll survive. I've had much worse happen to me," he smiled, his hand still on his sore cheek. "I came to see if you were okay." For the last few days he noticed that Casey was paying more attention to Amanda than her school work. She watched her friend from afar. The spunkiness and the toughness seemed to be absent. Not that he could blame her. It was a tough time for everyone.

"I'm fine," she flushed.

Duo placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to open up to me, you know?" He planted a small kiss on her forehead. "Why don't you come meet my friend," he suggested. "You'll like her. Plus it will be a distraction for you."

"Is she a Gundam pilot, too?" she asked in an almost bitter tone.

"No. She can pilot mobile suits, though. No Gundam," he reassured. "Come on. It'll take your mind off things."

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down the sidewalk, unaware of the fact that a man was watching them from a nearby vehicle.

* * *

Lista was waiting on a wooden bench at a nearby park. The sky was painted a pretty pink and orange. A soft breeze blew past her as she watched the people walk on the trail. It had been quite a while since she was on this colony.

"There's hardly anyone here," Quatre said as he walked up to her. He literally scouted the area out.

"There are some people who are just strolling along. Is that why you went for a walk?" she asked.

"It's better that we are far enough from civilians. I thought people would be home at this hour for dinner. The things that we will be talking about are confidential," he replied matter-of-factly.

"If anything we can change locations," she suggested with a shrug. "I picked this place because it was easy to get to from his school." She then stood up and waved her hand into the air. Quatre looked over his shoulder and saw Duo with Casey. They were making their way to them.

"Thanks for meeting with me. I know that you wanted to keep me low, but you know me, I can't do that," Duo said as he dragged the red-head behind him. "It's better if we talk in person."

"Who is this?" Quatre inquired, although he feared he already knew the answer.

"This is Casey. Casey, this is Lista and Quatre," Duo introduced.

Casey eyed the couple before extending her hand. She had to be open minded about all this. "It's a pleasure."

Lista shook her hand and smiled while briefly glancing over at Duo, a smirk on her face. "So you're his girlfriend?"

Casey's face turned bright red. Duo's cheeks also had a tint of red to them. "What the hell, Lissy?!" he exclaimed, feeling his face heat up.

"Think of it as payback," Lista said simply. "For all the stunts that you pulled back when Quatre and I were still figuring things out." Duo scowled but didn't say anything. Lista smirked at his reaction. Payback was a bitch.

"Pardon me for being rude, but why did you bring her here?" Quatre asked curiously. "I thought we were supposed to be discussing important matters? No offense, Casey."

Casey looked at Quatre and then to the other two. Duo wanted her to meet some new people on his end as a way to make her feel better about the events that had passed. She didn't get how this was supposed to help her mood. She then turned her attention to Lista and Quatre. "I already know who he was during the war. I know that he piloted a Gundam."

The couple both looked at each other, speechless.

"You told her you were a Gundam pilot?" Lista asked in disbelief.

"She kind of… overhead me," Duo confessed.

"I did go off on him," Casey added.

"More like you tried to choke me," Duo clarified, remembering how she pinned him to the wall with brute force.

"Choke?!" Lista exclaimed.

"Did you think that I was going to let him off that easily?" Casey asked. "After all the suffering that I had to go through because of that war? Because of that… thing?!"

Duo tried to calm her down and looked at Lista. He told his friend a few weeks ago about Casey's past and why she was always on the defense. Lista looked back at Duo.

"I'm sorry," Quatre said softly, his head down. "It's all my fault."

"Quatre, don't," Duo warned.

"No, Duo," Quatre said, holding up a hand. "She has the right to know. I have to get this off my chest." The Arabian pilot looked at Casey, regret written all over his face. "Casey… I was the one who destroyed the colony that your father was on. Duo told me all about you."

It happened all so fast that one second Quatre was on his feet and then the next he was looking up at the night's sky. He was completely on his back with a furious Casey on top of him. Her eyes burned like a raging inferno. Duo tried to pry her off of him. Her fist almost came in contact with Quatre's face when Lista yanked her off with the help of Duo. Before she could stop herself, she slapped Casey across the face, her blood now boiling.

"Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on him," Lista growled.

"Lissy…" Duo began. Lista held her hand up, stopping him from going any further. Talk about the start of a cat fight.

"Is this some sort of a sick joke? Did you bring me here to meet the man who killed my father?" Casey asked, her voice shaking. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She avoided any eye contact. "You are all the same! Baiting me until you get me right where you want me! Then you go and strike right where it hurts! I hate all soldiers! I hate war! I hate all of you!"

She took off in a different direction, away from the trio. It didn't matter where she went. She just had to get away. It hurt. She let her guard down, let him into her life, and trusted him. He told her that he was different, that he actually cared for her. She stopped and fell to her knees on the grass. She sobbed into her hands, not caring who saw her. She got played once again and, what's worse, she showed her vulnerability. Slowly getting to her feet, she wiped her tears from her face and carried on.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry I haven't been updating this story in weeks. I have been going through a lot of stuff mentally. I was also out of state at one point. I will try to keep things up from here on out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The trio stood where they were in silence. A couple of people witnessed what had happened but walked away, not wanting to get involved. They were grateful for that. Duo placed a hand on his head and looked at Quatre with concern on his face.

"Hey, buddy. Are you all right?" he asked his friend. After experiencing that kind of ordeal, he didn't know if Quatre had anything broken or even a concussion.

The Arabian pilot nodded his head. "Yeah. I'm okay physically. I'm sorry. It's my fault that all this commotion even started."

"You just _had_ to say something," Duo said with a shake of his head. "Even when I told you _not_ to say a thing to her about it."

"I _had_ to, Duo. The guilt was still eating me up inside," Quatre explained.

"But that still doesn't give her the right to start beating people up," Lista said in a sour tone.

"She had every right to get angry with me. I killed her father, Lista," Quatre countered. "I'm sure you would feel the same way if it was your father and you met his murderer."

Lista clamped her mouth shut and huffed. Duo groaned in frustration. This was _not_ how he pictured things would go.

"I have to go look for her. We'll meet some other time this week," Duo said. "I'm really sorry for bringing her here. I thought it would cheer her up, get her mind off of things. She knew the person who died during the explosion. He was the boyfriend of her best friend. I guess you could say that he was her friend, too. Casey's just worried about her friend right now."

Quatre smiled. "Don't worry about it. Go look for her. I actually have a small place here on the colony. My father bought it when I was little. You guys can stay with us if you'd like."

Duo smiled back. "Thanks, buddy. I don't know what is going to happen when I do find her. I'll keep in touch. We still need to go over things." He looked over at Lista. "I'm sorry, Lissy." He dashed in the direction where Casey fled to, leaving the couple to themselves.

Lista stood there with her arms crossed tightly against her chest, an irritated expression on her face. Quatre put a hand on her shoulder.

"Try to lighten up," he said in a gentle voice.

She scoffed and looked at him. "She could have hurt you," she said. "Plus I don't allow people laying hands on the people that I love."

"I've had much worse, remember? I don't think she's a bad person, and I think you know it, too. I'm sure Duo has told you about her. She's just carrying a lot of baggage, just like the rest of us," Quatre said softly. He gently squeezed her shoulder.

Lista unfolded her arms and sighed, knowing that he was right in some sort of way. He took her hand and suggested that the two of them go for some ice cream. She nodded at the idea and took one last glance at the direction that Duo ran to.

* * *

Owen looked over Shane's shoulder as the young man typed away at the keyboard. Images of five Gundam pilots popped up. A smirk formed on Owen's lips. Since the last war, the identities of the young soldiers had been leaked. It made things a whole lot easier. He pointed at one image.

"Well, what do you know," he said to himself. "I knew that braided kid looked familiar." Owen crossed his arms as he straightened back up. "Looks like things just got a little bit more interesting. I didn't know that Casey knew a Gundam pilot."

"Casey is the daughter of your deceased friend, right?" Shane asked.

"Yeah. I paid a little visit to her school because I heard from my butler that a boy came to pick her up for the prom. I didn't know that the dance was at the same place as the meeting. At least she survived. I was curious to see who this boy was. It looked like she was really cozy with him, too. Considering her previous attitude toward soldiers, this is something else. Shane, let the men know to go forward with our next plan. We need to get the bait before catching the prize."

"Sir?"

"We have to move forward. The mobile dolls on Earth are doing the job for now. The more destruction, the better. However, we can't just stop and wait to get caught. I'm sure those pesky Preventers are investigating." Owen headed toward the exit to the room.

Shane took out his cell phone and dialed a number. "The boss said go for it."

* * *

Casey was sitting down with her knees up to her chest. She was under a tall tree. She just kept running until she was far away from people. The pain she felt that very day, the day that she was told that her father wasn't coming home to her, wrapped around her heart like a poisonous snake. The result of her selfish actions left her feeling alone and guilty. She jerked her head up when she heard a twig snap. Duo stood a few feet before her, panting heavily.

"What?" she asked, not bothering to look up at him. The blades of grass seemed more interesting to her. She knew he would find her sooner or later. She just didn't care anymore.

"I was looking… all over for you," he breathed. He sat down next to her and looked up at the night sky. There was a pregnant pause between them. "Quatre lost his father, too, during the war. That's what drove him to madness," Duo said softly. Casey's eyes widened but still avoided any eye contact. "He's not a bad person. If he was, he wouldn't have apologized like he did. He still carries the guilt in his heart. In all honesty, he's more of a pacifist out of all of us. He just made a huge mistake, a mistake that he, unfortunately, can't undo." Duo looked down at the red-head, waiting for some type of reaction or comment.

"I felt alone when I heard the news. I felt like I had no one left," Casey whispered. She hugged her knees closer to her chest.

"We have all felt that way," Duo said solemnly. "But you are not alone. You have Amanda, your father's friends, and me."

Casey blushed at the last part. "I don't really count Owen as somebody that I have in my life. It feels like he only took me in as an obligation to my father, nothing more than that."

Duo didn't say anything. He didn't really know that much about her living situation. "Quatre invited us to his place. I think we should go." He felt Casey's body stiffen at the suggestion. "Once you get to know him, you'll see that he isn't the bad guy."

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, Casey sighed and finally looked at Duo. He noticed the redness in her eyes. "Fine. I have nothing better to do anyway, and I don't really want to go home at the moment. I guess I don't have much of a choice."

"You do have a choice, but this one is good one," Duo smiled and got up. He extended his hand and helped her to her feet. "My purpose for bringing you here was to make you feel better. I didn't expect things to go south the way that they did. Please forgive me?"

Casey stood where she was for a moment. She could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I still find you highly annoying," she said in a low voice. "But for some reason… I believe you."

"That's all that I ask for. I don't lie, remember?" He placed both hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to feel alone anymore. Okay?" He placed a kiss on the top of her head and took her hand, leading her toward the direction that he came.

* * *

"What do you mean you are having trouble destroying the mobile dolls?!" Lady Une yelled into the receiver of the phone. "The mobile suits that you guys are piloting are up to date. There should be no reason for this."

The man on the other end of the line took a deep breath. "I know that, Lady Une, but these dolls are tough. They have energy-like whips that could slice a boulder in half. We can hardly make a dent in the armor, too. Only a few of our men were able to take some down. We are using everything we got. Twelve of us are down at the moment."

"Joe, where are you right now?" Une asked, her free hand shaking at her side.

"I'm actually in hiding right now," Joe replied. He was in his mobile suit, in the far shadows of a forest. An explosion could be heard in the background. "What should I do?" His anxiety was rising as he heard screams of terror nearby.

"Retreat for now. Tell the other troops to back out," she said. "Make your way back to the headquarters."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

Lady Une hung up the phone, her hands still trembling. This wasn't good. They were barely making progress. Who knew how many innocent lives had been taken.

"Well?" asked a low voice.

Une looked in front of her. Heero was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "We have an issue. According to one of my soldiers, the mobile dolls that are terrorizing the Earth are hard to damage. I have a horrible feeling about all this. If our updated suits are no match for these things, then what do we do?" It was almost like she was talking more to herself than to her guest.

Heero pushed himself from the wall he was leaning on. "Easy. We get the Gundams."

"But the Gundams have been destroyed. You said so yourself a while back," Une pointed out.

"We have someone who can rebuild them, if need be," Heero said nonchalantly. "In the meantime, I'll go find Trowa. We are going to need all of us if it's that bad."

Lady Une nodded. "I'll let Sally and Noin know about this. We have to find a way to get a piece of that material so we can analyze it."

"Don't go too crazy. From what you are telling me, it could be Gundanium." With that last note, he took his leave from the office.

Une stood before the vast window in her office. Relena was still missing and new mobile dolls had shown up. They had to put a stop to all of this before a full blown out war was started.

* * *

Owen entered the medium sized room where Relena was being held captive. The blonde glared at the older man as she sat in one of the chairs.

"Don't look at me like that, Princess," he said, the last word dripping with sarcasm. "I'm taking revenge for my family. You would do the same, right?"

"You already know what happened to my family and my kingdom. Why would you go out of your way to destroy, when the one thing you are after is no longer? That doesn't make any sense to me," Relena said, her brows furrowed in frustration.

Owen let out a laugh. "I want to cause mayhem, to destroy what you have fought so hard for: pacifism. You are the last of the Peacecrafts, the princess of a kingdom that got what it deserved." He went up to her and grabbed the bottom of her chin, making her look up at him. "I want to see that spirit of yours burn out."

"You're a madman. You're crazy to think that any of this is going to work out for you," she said.

The older man tilted his head back and laughed at the accusation. He combed his hair with his fingers. "I'm a man who is simply looking for justice. The people in space are the future, not the ones who are down here on Earth." He smirked and looked at her once more. "Don't worry, my dear. I don't plan on killing you just yet." He had an evil grin on his face before walking out of the room.

Relena could hear the door lock. She got up from her seat and moved to the big window. Looking out into the star-filled sky, she wondered where Heero was. Surely he was looking for her. There was nothing she could do right now but wait.

* * *

Duo, Lista, and Quatre were all sitting around the dining room table, discussing what was happening down on Earth. Lista stated that different mobile dolls appeared in London. She got word from Noin that Lady Une wanted samples of what those new suits were made out of.

The braided pilot shook his head. "A suit that can't easily get destroyed? This sounds bad," he murmured.

"It has to be Gundanium," Quatre said thoughtfully

"But that stuff was outlawed," Duo said. "At least that's what I thought. Besides, didn't we fight dolls made of that material back in the old war?"

"You're not wrong. However, I'm sure there are black market dealers out there that are selling it," Quatre replied. "What about Heero? Do we know if he's alive?"

"He is. He actually went to Lady Une. He suggested that the Gundams be rebuilt," Lista said. The two pilots looked at her.

"But we destroyed our Gundams after Mariemaia," Duo stated.

"Heero obviously has a plan up his sleeve. From what I've heard, he's gone out to look for Trowa. Once he finds him, I'm sure he'll come to us," Lista said.

"It sounds like another war is upon us," Quatre said sadly.

"We won't let that happen," Duo said firmly. "We'll take out the trash before it gets bad."

Quatre just nodded his head. He looked at Duo. "Where is Casey?"

"She's been out on the patio, gazing up at the sky. She didn't want to come into the house," Duo explained. "It's a miracle that she even came here in the first place."

"It's better this way," Lisa stated. "We can't have her get in the middle of all this."

Quatre stood up from his seat. "I'm going to have a talk with her." Lista automatically got up as well, objecting to the idea. Quatre smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can take care of myself. Besides, I think the shock is over." He smiled softly. "Trust me on this one, Lista." Lista bit her lip then reluctantly nodded her head. Quatre thanked her and made his way toward the patio.

"Don't worry, Lissy. It'll be good if they spoke to each other," Duo said. "I told her about Quatre's past. I doubt she'll do anything."

Lista sat back down into her chair. She didn't say much but kept her eye on the patio door.

Casey was sitting on a chair with her knees up against her chest. She took a deep breath. Different thoughts went through her head. It was exhausting having all these unexpected things happen all at once. She was worried about her best friend, she found out who killed her father, and now she was at the murderer's house. She called Alfred to let him know that she was staying at a friend's house. He didn't seem to mind much, as long as she was safe. Owen wouldn't be home for awhile. She closed her eyes and thought about what Duo had told her about the Arabian pilot. It was true that Quatre had a friendly disposition, someone who wouldn't harm a fly, let alone destroy an entire colony.

She heard the patio door slide open. She turned her head and found Quatre standing by the doorway.

"Can I join you for a few minutes?" he asked, his tone gentle.

"Sure. It's your house. You don't have to ask permission," she mumbled.

He shook his head while smiling. He sat the opposite of her on the deck, looking up at the star-filled sky.

"Nice night," he said. When he didn't get a reply, he sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy task. "Look. I'm sure Duo had said something to you. What I did in the past has bothered me for years." Casey shifted her gaze to her side, listening to what he had to say. "Just hear me out. My father got murdered during the war with OZ. I was on a different shuttle with my sister. I saw him get killed in an explosion. While that was happening, my sister protected me but ended up dying, too. I lost two of the most important people to me at that moment in time. Something snapped inside of me. I lost all reason and logic. My mind went into a fog of rage. I went off to get revenge on the people who didn't care. It was my good friends and comrades who saved me. However, I did a lot of damage, for which I am deeply sorry for." He took a deep breath. "Casey, if I could go back in time and stop myself from doing all those things, I would." A tear ran down his cheek. "You have every right to hate me, but I just want to say how sorry I am."

Casey didn't look at him but could hear the deep sorrow in his voice. "I got into a fight with my father," she whispered. Quatre wiped his eyes, listening to her. "We were supposed to do something together. We hadn't seen each other in so long. I was looking forward to it. Then he told me that he had to go to a colony for a meeting. He said that we had to postpone our date. But he said that all the time. It got old, really old. I got mad and told him to go off, that I didn't care anymore whether he lived or died. That was the last thing that I said to him. When I got the news that he had been killed, I fell apart. My whole world came crashing down on me. I had no one left. My mother left when I was little, and now my father was gone. I was selfish in my actions. I'm sure I hurt him a lot when I said those horrible things to him."

"I'm sorry," Quatre said softly. "I'm sure he knew that you didn't mean those things. When rage engulfs us, we tend to do and say things we don't mean."

Tears ran down her cheeks. "I couldn't apologize to him, to tell him… that I loved him and that I would be waiting for him."

Quatre got up from his seat and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wars can bring out the ugly in people. That's why I fight to protect the peace of all the people."

Casey rubbed her eyes, embarrassed by the water works. "I accept your apology."

Quatre smiled and thanked her. He took his hand off of her shoulder. "I'll leave you alone for a little while. Don't stay out too long, though." When he entered the house, he found Lista standing by the doorway. He smiled at her. "Everything is going to be okay. We are okay now." He left the area while Lista stayed behind, looking at the red-head through the curtains.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

A woman with long brown hair walked the streets carrying bags of food in each hand. She had on a simple black tee and gray sweatpants. It was a decent day out. The sun was hiding behind some of the clouds, and there was a soft breeze. As she walked, she was completely unaware of the men who were watching her every move from a distance.

"Is that skinny woman our target?" one of the men asked.

The man sitting in the passenger seat nodded his head. "That's our bitch," he said nonchalantly. It was as if he was bored. "Let's get this over with."

The woman stopped by a fruit stand. She examined a red apple before purchasing it. She walked a few more blocks toward her apartment building, taking a bite out of the juicy apple. The black vehicle rolled down the road after her. She halted and looked as the car stopped beside her. Her brown eyes widened with fear as a pair of hands grabbed her by the arm. She dropped her bags of food as she struggled with the man, but it was all pointless as she was pulled into the car. She screamed as she flailed her arms. One of the men pulled out a syringe and stuck it in her arm. She could feel her body start to grow heavy and numb. The flailing ceased as she went limp across their laps.

"About fucking time," the driver said, annoyed. "I wasn't going to drive with her being like that. What a pain in the ass."

"It took me time to pull the fucking thing out. You try getting something out of your pocket when you have a screaming woman on you," the man with the syringe spat.

"Will you two just shut up? Let's move before we get noticed," the man in the passenger seat said.

Nobody said anything else as the car drove down the street with the unconscious woman.

* * *

There she was again, in that dark space with hardly any light. It was dank and cold this time. She wrapped her arms around her torso as she continued to walk aimlessly within the space. Her brown eyes scanned the area the best they could. In the back of her mind, she knew what was waiting for her, what was lurking within the darkness. She stopped when she saw a figure before her. They were of normal size, unlike that huge thing she kept on seeing. The figure turned and looked at her. As she walked closer, she could make out the face. Her heart stopped as her father turned to her, a smile on his gentle face.

"Dad!" she yelled. She ran up to him as fast as her legs could take her. She leaped into his arms, tears running down her face. "I'm so happy that you are alive." Her father only smiled and embraced her. "Where were you all this time?" Before she could get an answer, he disappeared. "Dad? Where did you go?"

"It's all your fault," came a deep voice. Casey looked around her and saw nothing. Her heart started to beat faster. "You are the one who killed him." The gigantic figure appeared from the shadows, its eyes glowing red. "Now it's time to meet your end."

Casey screamed as she covered her head with her arms. She screamed for help. She screamed for Duo. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her body. The figure in front of her disintegrated as light appeared. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in an unfamiliar room. That's when she remembered that she was staying at somebody's house.

"Are you okay?" asked a voice from next to her. She looked over and saw Duo laying there, his arms around her. She quickly pushed him off of her. "You were having a nightmare. You were calling my name."

Cold sweat soaked her shirt. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. "Sorry… about that." A tint of pink appeared on her cheeks as she avoided any eye contact with the soldier.

Duo scooted over to her. "Don't be. I was worried about you." She glanced over at the braided pilot and noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. The tint of pink on her cheeks turned into a full flush of red. Duo chuckled and wrapped his arms around her again. "You are safe in these arms."

"Thanks, I think," Casey mumbled. She didn't want to admit that she did feel better being held in his strong arms.

"Was it the same type of dream that you had months ago? With that huge figure?" he whispered.

She nodded. "But my father was in it this time. I was able to feel him as I hugged him. That's when the dark figure appeared and told me that it was all my fault that he was dead." Her shoulders started to shake.

"Stop. It's not your fault, and you know it," Duo stated. He squeezed her against him tightly. Casey shifted against him. She sniffed as she wiped her eyes with her hand. "Look at me, Casey." The red-head obeyed and looked at the violet pools starting back at her. Sincerity is what she saw in them. "You are not at fault. You are a good person, someone who I admire. Don't beat yourself up anymore. Let down that barrier that you have set up. There is no need for it."

The tears ran down her cheeks involuntarily. She placed a hand on the side of his face. She could sense him tense up. Leaning forward, he placed his lips against hers. The two of them sat in the bed together. His hands moved up to the sides of her face, enjoying the warmth that she was giving him. After a few minutes, he reluctantly pulled away, taking in a lungful of oxygen. Casey just looked at him as if she was lost in thought.

"I'm… going to go downstairs for a drink," she said as she hastily got out of the bed.

She made her way down the stairs and into the open kitchen. From the window she could see that dawn was slowly approaching. Opening the cabinet, she grabbed a glass and filled it with water. She added a few ice cubes from the freezer. After taking a sip of the cool beverage, she stared at the granite countertop. Who would have thought that she would be hanging around with a bunch of Gundam pilots? It seemed unreal, a dream.

She then thought about her talk with Quatre. Was she wrong to think that all soldiers were bad? Amanda did keep telling her that not all soldiers were the same. She could tell by the look on the Arabian pilot's face that he was sincere in what he said.

The sound of footsteps roused her from her thoughts. She turned, expecting to find Duo. Instead it was Lista who was standing in the room with her. Casey turned her back around and greeted the black-haired woman. Lista walked past her to the fridge. She opened up the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs.

"You're up pretty early," Lista said nonchalantly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really," Casey answered in a low voice. "I had a pretty bad nightmare." She didn't make eye contact with the other woman. The awkwardness that was in the air felt heavy on her shoulders. Casey didn't even know what to say. After the stunt that she pulled the other day, it was amazing that Lista was even talking to her. She finished her drink and set the empty glass in the sink.

Lista looked at the girl and sighed. She might as well loosen up the tension in the room. "It looks like you and Quatre have made up," she said as she cracked an egg.

Casey focused on the countertop again, listening to the sizzling of the egg. "We were just discussing our pasts. I never really told anyone about what had happened. Not even my best friend knows the whole story. For some reason, though, Duo and Quatre made me talk. I don't even know how." She rested her elbows on the countertop.

Lista smiled as she cooked. "They do have that impact on people," Lista commented. "Duo can get even the most rotten person on the planet to like him, at least to some degree. Quatre just has that comforting air about him. He never judges and is always there to lend a hand."

"I see." That still didn't mean that she wasn't any less confused about the matter.

"So… what is your relationship with Duo?" Lista took out a round ceramic white plate from the bottom of the cabinet. She slid the sunny side up eggs on the plate. She looked over and saw the hint of red on Casey's cheeks.

"I don't… know," Casey murmured. "He's a friend… I guess." Of course this topic had to come up. It made things ten times more awkward.

"You guess? Didn't you go to the prom with him?" she asked.

Casey looked at Lista. "Wait… how did you know about the prom?"

"Duo told me about it."

Duo entered the kitchen wearing a black tee and blue jeans. Casey went up to him and punched him in the arm.

"Can you stop telling people about me?" she growled and walked away, flustered.

Duo rubbed the spot where he got punched. "Geez. What was that all about? What were you two talking about?" he asked.

His friend explained that she mentioned the dance. The braided man groaned and sat on one of the stools at the island. Lista placed a plate of eggs in front of him.

"I have no idea what is going on with you two," she said as she gave him a fork.

"Do you think I have any idea? She is a lot better than when I first met her. There are a lot of mixed signals…" Duo said as he took a bite of his egg.

"Do you really like her, Duo?"

Duo nodded his head and smiled. "Yeah, I do. She has this passion, this burning fire about her. She's been through a lot over the years. That you know already. There is more to her than meets the eye, Lissy. I have seen it with my own two eyes."

Lista looked at her friend and shook her head. Those two were a complicated case.

* * *

Relena sat by the window of her room. Her chin was resting on the palm of her hand, her arm propped on the armrest of the chair. It was a nice day outside. She watched some leaves dance in the wind. It was hard being shacked up in a room, not really knowing what day it was. Stuff like this happened in the past, and the only thing she could do was put on a brave face. She longed to be like the leaves: free. There were times where she tried to escape, but she didn't get very far. The two bodyguards got a hold of her as if she were a mere doll. She picked her head up when she heard voices coming from behind the closed door. Two men opened the door and threw a woman into the room. She had to be in her late forties. Her long brown hair was a tangled mess. She sported bruises on her bare arms. One of the men commented to Relena that she now had company before shutting the bedroom door. Relena slowly got up from her chair and went to her guest. She took off the duct tape that was placed over the woman's mouth.

"W-Where am I? What is this place?" the woman frantically asked, looking around the room.

"From the looks of it, you were captured, too. We're in some kind of mansion, at least that's what I think," Relena replied calmly. The answer didn't help ease the frightened woman. She stopped for a second and looked at Relena.

"You're… you're Relena," she said shakily.

"I was having a meeting with some leaders. Apparently I was drugged and brought here. I was told that if I didn't step down as leader, then more people would perish. I didn't really have a choice. Now that I have, it's all been for naught. People are still dying," Relena explained. "I was foolish by having Owen as my second in command. All I saw was the dedication he had towards me, which, mind you, was all an act. He wanted revenge for what my family did to him." She looked at her visitor. "They didn't say anything on why they brought you here?"

The older woman shook her head. "I was walking home from the grocery store. These men came in a car and just pulled me into the vehicle. I tried to fight, but they stuck me with something." She took a deep breath, relieved that she wasn't alone. "My name is Theresa O'Connor."

Relena smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You are safe with me. I will do my best to make sure nothing happens to you." Although she sounded confident, she wasn't sure herself if she could keep her word. She had failed in her attempt in escaping her prison. She definitely was no match for the bodyguards. However, despite all that had happened, she tried to keep a positive outlook on things.

* * *

Loud cheers could be heard along with clapping, Heero stood near the back entrance of a huge circus tent. His hands were in his jean pockets. He looked up at the clear sky and wondered if Relena was okay. The woman had spunk and was as stubborn as a mule. She could hold her own for a bit, but he knew that they had to hurry.

"Heero?"

He looked over and saw Trowa standing next to him, clad in his clown outfit. "I see you are doing well," Heero commented.

"What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" Trowa asked as he placed his half of a clown mask on one of the crates.

"It wasn't easy," Heero replied. "I came because we need you. I'm sure you have heard the news. There are mobile dolls down here on Earth. Right now they are targeting certain cities in England. Why? We don't know. The dolls are different from the ones that we battled years ago. Different models that are probably made with Gundanium. The suits that the Preventers have are not taking them out fast enough. We need the Gundams for this."

"I did hear about the attack in London. I was waiting to hear from someone. When I didn't, I thought it was being taken care of by the Preventers," Trowa said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But we've battled with mobile suits before that were made out of Gundanium."

"I know, but the Preventers have mobile dolls that aren't cutting it," Heero replied.

Before Trowa could say anything else, Catherine emerged from within the tent. She took one look at Heero and then at Trowa. "What is he doing here?" she demanded, pointing her index finger at Heero.

Trowa held up both hands in defense. "Catherine, listen to me. There is a lot going on in the world. People need us."

"No. You listen here, Trowa. You have finally maintained a normal life, as a normal guy. Why thrust yourself into battle again? You will only get hurt," Catherine said, her voice cracking. She glared at Heero. Trouble always followed that man no matter where he went.

Trowa sighed. "I need to go or else more people will get hurt. I'm also looking out for you and the circus." He knew deep down that what he said wasn't going to be enough to convince her.

Catherine looked away from the two men, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I know that I can't stop you. You would just go, anyway."

"I'll be back," Trowa said softly. "If anything happens around here, make sure you all get to safety. I'll keep in touch." He took his clown mask and gave it to her. "Thank you for understanding."

She took the mask and pressed it against her chest. The two men said their farewells to her before leaving the area together. She watched them go with a worried expression on her face. "Be careful, Trowa…"

* * *

It had been a month since the explosion and the loss of the ten students. Things were finally returning to normal at the school. Casey was walking with Amanda down the school hallway. Her best friend's mood had returned to normal to some extent. Amanda was upbeat and smiling again. Every so often the brunette would go silent, with a solemn look on her face, especially when they passed Ben's old locker. They made a left and stopped at Casey's locker so she could load her bag for the next upcoming classes. Duo waved and walked up to the girls. Amanda smiled at the pilot and greeted him.

"What's going on?" Amanda asked. She noticed that his face was serious and not the jolly look that he normally had on.

"Nothing much. I'm not going to be in school for a while," Duo replied. "Some things have come up. The principal knows the full details."

"Really? I hope everything is okay." Amanda said with a concerned face. "You will return for graduation at least, right?"

"I can't promise that," he said in a low voice. He looked at Casey. "Sorry, Case." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Casey just stood there, her eyes wide. Duo bid them farewell and then headed down the hall. In a fit of rage, the red-head chased after him. She wove through the sea of people in the hall. She saw Duo leave the building and picked up her pace.

"Duo!" she shouted. The braided man turned around, only to be slapped hard across the face. "Don't you dare walk away from me!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to beat the man in front of her, but she also wanted to hug him tightly and not let go. Just the thought of her not seeing him again frightened her. Were they really more than just friends? What was he to her?

"Case… I…" Duo started. He didn't really know what to say. He saw the tears run down her face. He knew she was upset with him.

"Don't call me that!" she screamed. "Are you going to disappear just like him?! Was I a toy all along?!"

"A toy? What?" Duo then realized that she was talking about Jonathan. "No, Casey. I'm nothing like that man."

"Then why are you leaving?" she asked with tears running down her cheeks. "Answer me! If you are nothing like him, then you will tell me the truth."

Duo clenched his fists that were at his side. "I can't. It's classified information." He remembered the talk that the pilots had.

 _"_ _I heard that you have been hanging around a couple of girls," Heero said. He was sitting at the kitchen table at Quatre's small house. "Don't say anything to them. No one should know what is about to happen."_

"So that's it?" Casey whispered. "Fine. I get it." She turned her back on him. "I wish you luck, Duo Maxwell." Before he could say anything else, she ran back into the school.

Duo stood where he was with a pained expression on his face. He knew deep down that he did the right thing. He just hoped that he could tell her the truth when all of this was over.

Casey ran into the women's bathroom and closed one of the stall doors. She sat down on the toilet and covered her face with her palms. It felt as if her heart was being chipped away. She had felt these horrible pains years ago. On the other side of the stall, she could hear the other girls muttering to each other. She didn't care at that point. All she knew was that throughout her time with the braided soldier, she had fallen for him.

* * *

Alfred stacked some of the newspapers in a neat little pile on Owen's desk. He asked the man if he should get rid of them. Owen told him that he needed them. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued tidying up the room. He moved a bit to the left and his leg bumped into an open drawer, resulting in him falling to the ground. He slowly got up while taking a quick look inside the drawer. There were blueprints of a Gundam within it. He took out the contents and looked them over. His eyes went wide when he saw Casey's name in the corner. He dropped the papers and then looked at the latest headline in the newspaper. It was all coming together. The long nights, the secretive talks when he was home behind closed doors.

"Alfred? What are you doing in my office?"

The butler slowly turned around and saw Owen standing in the doorway. "It was all you. You were behind all those attacks on Earth?" Alfred asked, his mouth going dry from the realization.

"I guess it was only going to be a matter of time before you found out my secret," Owen said before taking out a pistol. With one shot, the bullet made contact with the older man's stomach. Alfred fell to his knees, holding his wound. "Can't have you telling everyone, now can I?"

"W-What do you plan on doing… with Casey?" Alfred breathed, feeling the blood as it soaked through his shirt.

Owen smirked. "She will be the one to pilot that Gundam," he explained.

"She won't do it. She's… too good of a… person," Alfred said. He started to feel lightheaded.

"Exactly! That's why I have taken her mother hostage," Owen said, the grin not leaving his face as he watched his butler die. "I doubt she would want her dear old mother killed."

Alfred coughed up blood and then collapsed to the ground. He looked up at Owen with disgust. "You're an evil man…"

Owen thanked his butler for the compliment. He said his goodbye before leaving him to die.

* * *

Casey entered the house Her mood was melancholy. She hung her coat up and entered the kitchen. No food was on the table. It was quiet in the house, too quiet. "Alfred?" she called. "Are you home?" She wandered around the house, checking each room. She finally came across Owen's office and found Alfred on the floor in a puddle of crimson. "Alfred!" She ran to the body and checked his pulse on his neck. It was faint, but still beating. "Please get up."

The older man coughed and weakly looked up at her. Casey placed his head on her lap before taking out her cell. "C-Casey…"

"Please don't talk. Everything will be okay. I'm calling for help," she whispered.

Alfred brought the phone down with a shaky hand. "Listen… it's too late for me. You… have to run… away."

"What? No. You're going to live." Tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Listen to me… please. Owen is the one… behind the attacks. Casey… he has… plans for you. He's… going to… blackmail you…"Alfred whispered. "He… he has your mother."

"My mother?" That was impossible. It had been years since that woman was even mentioned or seen.

"He has plans to… harm her if you don't… agree…" The red-head looked at the dying man, trying to process the things that were being said to her. "Stay safe… don't buy into what he says."

"He won't get away with this," Casey said in a determined voice. "He will pay and you will live."

Alfred smiled weakly. "You are a good kid… stay that way. Always… follow… your heart…" He closed his eyes. A moment passed and Casey realized that he wasn't breathing.

"Alfred! Alfred! You can't go! Don't leave me…" Tears ran down her cheeks as she hugged him, hysterically crying. "Don't go. Please… I have no one left." She sniffed when she remembered the mention of her mother. Did Owen really have her? After wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she carefully laid Alfred on the ground. She didn't know what to do. Why was all this happening to her? She couldn't just leave him there. Picking up her cell, she dialed Duo's number with a shaky hand.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this chapter was one of the chapters that I had thought of from the very beginning. Mind you, it wasn't easy actually writing it out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Casey stood before Duo, her eyes red from crying. Without hesitation, Duo took her into his arms. "What happened?" he asked. When she called him, he couldn't really make out what she was saying. She was crying hysterically into the receiver. Even after their little fight and her telling him that was it, he didn't have to think twice. He dropped everything and made his way to her house, forgetting about what Heero had told him.

"Alfred is dead," Casey whispered. She couldn't cry anymore. There were no more tears left to shed. Her eyes were sore. "I'm sure Owen killed him."

"This Owen person is your father's friend, right?" Duo asked.

She nodded into his shoulder. "Alfred told me that Owen had plans for a Gundam to be made. He wants me to use it." She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "He is the one who is responsible for the demise of Ben and the others. Not only that, Alfred mentioned my mother. He told me that Owen has her somewhere."

"Wait… your mother?" Duo asked in surprise.

"I haven't seen her in years. I don't even know if this is true," she sniffed.

Duo took a moment and looked around the quiet house, processing all the information that he was told. What was the reason for the Gundam and why was Casey mentioned? He had a bad taste in his mouth from all of this. Duo broke the embrace and suggested that they get Alfred buried somewhere. Casey nodded at the idea. It was one of the reasons why she called him. She didn't know what to do with the body. The other reason was that she didn't want to be alone, not at the moment anyway. Duo wiped the last fallen tear from her face.

"You have nothing to worry about. I am here," he said softly. "Where is the body?"

Casey sniffed again and led him to the office where Alfred was. Duo looked at the old man solemnly. He took out his phone and dialed a number. A man on the other end answered. Casey bent down and covered Alfred's face with a blue handkerchief. She looked up when Duo left the room, his phone pressed to his ear. She took a seat in Owen's office chair. She moved papers around on the desk, trying to find the blueprints. After checking all of the drawers of the desk, she concluded that Owen must have taken the prints with him. Duo appeared in the room after hanging up.

"Quatre is coming to help us," he explained. He saw papers all over the place. "What happened here?"

"I was trying to find the prints," Casey replied. "But it looks like he took them after killing Alfred."

Duo frowned. He knew the others were going to disapprove of his suggestion. "Pack your bags. You can stay with me for right now."

The red-head looked at the braided pilot. "What?"

"I'm not going to allow you to stay here where that mad man can get to you."

"What about what you told me earlier today?"

"Forget what I said, okay? That was then, this is now. Don't be difficult." He was getting frustrated now. Casey got up from the office chair and maneuvered around the desk. She stood right in front of him and looked at him in the eyes. "I'm only protecting you. Please, Casey."

After a moment of silence, she nodded her head. "Okay. You stay with him. I'll be right back," she said and left the room.

Duo groaned and looked at the body that was laying on the floor. Things just got more complicated.

* * *

Owen stood before the Gundam, an evil smirk on his face. As he stood there, he thought back to the event that had transpired a few hours ago. He didn't mean to kill his butler, but he couldn't afford to let his plan get out to the public. Not just yet, at least. His big reveal would happen in due time. First, he had to persuade Casey into working for him.

"The I System is all set up and ready for use," Marcus said as he slid down the line from the mobile suit. "One of our men tried it out in a different doll. He told us that his mind went blank and that his limbs moved on their own. He was able to destroy some dummies. For someone who had never piloted a machine, he was pretty good. The system did everything for him."

"How is he now?" Owen asked. Not that he actually cared for the man. He just didn't want the person's head to explode or something.

"He's resting right now. It did take a lot out of him," Marcus replied.

Owen nodded in approval. He looked at his watch and told Marcus to get Relena. He decided to unleash his plan much sooner than he anticipated. He wanted her there with him when he announced it to the world.

* * *

Relena was sitting in the same old chair, staring out the window. Theresa was sitting on the crimson carpet with her knees to her chin. Both women didn't say word. The older woman looked up at Relena. For someone so young, she had a strong air about her, someone who had unwavering confidence and courage.

"What are you thinking about, Miss Relena? You have been in that same spot for hours now," Theresa asked.

The young woman smiled and looked at her roommate. "There is no need for formalities. Just call me Relena. I was just thinking about someone."

"Someone you love?" Theresa inquired.

Relena nodded. "I'm sure he's out there. He can't be defeated that easily."

"It's nice to have someone."

"What about you? Surely you have someone who cares for you," Relena said.

A sad expression plagued Theresa's feature. An old wound seemed to open up, causing pain within her chest. "I used to have a family."

"Really? What happened?" With everything that had happened with the last war, Relena hoped her new friend's family wasn't killed.

"I suffer from an illness. When my daughter was three years old, I almost attacked her. After that I tried to commit suicide. When I failed, I knew that I couldn't be around her. I fled without a word. I knew my husband would take care of her. It was for the best for her not to remember much about me. Such a horrible monster can't be a mother."

Relena got up from her seat and knelt down before the distressed woman. "I'm sure your family misses you. Your daughter should be older now, yes?"

"She should be about your age," Theresa replied. She could imagine her daughter as a pretty young woman, just like Relena.

"You should go find her when we get out of here. Explain to her what had happened. I'm sure she'll forgive you."

"How could someone forgive a parent who just walked out on her family?" Theresa asked. Just as Relena was about to answer that question, the door to the room opened. Three men in black suits entered.

"What is going on, now?" Relena demanded.

"The leader wishes for you to accompany him," one of the men said in a deep voice.

"For what?" she asked.

"Don't ask questions and get a move on, Miss," said the second man as he grabbed her hand with force.

Relena looked at Theresa and then at the men. "Don't hurt her."

"Don't worry your pretty little head. She's here for a different reason," said the third man with a smile.

Theresa watched as Relena was escorted out of the room. She was alone again, not knowing what was going to happen.

* * *

Casey sat by a tree, tears flowing freely from her eyes again. Duo managed to get Alfred to a safe place. Quatre was kind enough to pay for a proper burial. Casey told Duo about Alfred's daughter and that he wanted to be buried with her. It was the least that she could do for him. She tried to wipe her eyes dry, but it was no use. The tears kept on coming. Why was all this happening?

Duo watched Casey from afar from within the house. He hated seeing her so upset. He wanted to do more for her. She told him after the burial that she wanted to be alone for a bit. All he could do was grant her request.

"So, who is this girl?" Wufei asked as he walked up to Duo. "Does she have a purpose here?"

"She's a classmate of Duo's," Quatre answered in a sad tone. He felt bad for her.

"So, she's a waste of space," Wufei concluded.

"Not necessarily," Duo said, not taking his eyes off of her. "She told me that this guy named Owen is the one responsible for all the attacks on Earth."

"The leader of the CEA," Trowa said as he took a sip of his tea.

"That man did act fast when Relena went missing," Lista said thoughtfully. "After he came into office, that's when the attacks happened. Let's not forget the weird shuttle sightings. Sally did get some samples of the mobile dolls on Earth. It wasn't an easy task, but she managed it. It's just like Heero guessed. It's Gundanium. However, it's a new type of Gundanium."

Heero looked at his watch and then turned on the television. "Speaking of which, he's going to give a speech."

Duo turned his head when he heard the screen door slide open. Casey stepped into the room with a blank look on her face, eyes bloodshot red.

"Perfect timing," Duo said. "That asshole is going to give a speech." Her ears perked up as she walked over to the television. On the screen, Owen stood before hundreds of people in a grand hall. Beside him was Relena, her hands behind her back.

"Relena!" Lista exclaimed. "She's all right."

"For now," Trowa said.

Heero kept his eyes glued to the screen, his arms tightly crossed over his chest.

Owen cleared his throat as he grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the party," he said into the microphone. "As you can see, I have a special guest with me this evening. The former leader: Miss Relena Peacecraft."

The crowd started to mumble to one another. Looks of confusion were shown on their faces. Relena stood where she was with her face expressionless.

"That bastard is up to something," Duo sneered.

"The reason why I invited you all here tonight was to tell you a little story. You see, my family served the Peacecraft family back when the Sanc Kingdom was in power. We were banished from the very kingdom we loyally served. The hardships that we faced afterwards were unforgivable. I became head of security when I got older. When I found out that the Sanc Kingdom had fallen, I was pleased. I thought that justice was served. However, it turned out that it wasn't enough. I wanted to teach everyone a lesson. I became part of OZ and rose in the ranks. When I found out that the princess was still alive, I had to end her pacifist ways." He looked at Relena with vengeful eyes. "So, I worked under her for a bit to win her trust. When I got the chance to become second in command, it was even better. I was the one who kidnapped Relena and had her step down. Anyone who got in my way was eliminated." The room roared with disapproval. "Don't try anything funny. I do have mobile suits stationed outside. Their armor is that of the Gundams. You can't defeat them! I am here to declare war! I will destroy the Earth and all its people! The colonies are the new future!"

Screams of terror could be heard when gunshots were fired. Relena looked on as blood was shed. Her face remained neutral, but her insides were churning. She felt like being sick to her stomach.

Heero turned off the television, his teeth clenched, but his posture was neutral.

"We have to do something," Lista said, her blood boiling at what she just witnessed and heard. "Everyone is in danger. Relena is in danger."

"He won't hurt her," Heero said in a monotone voice. "At least not yet. That's not part of his plan. She was there merely for decoration."

"He wants me," Casey said, her eyes on the black television screen. "He wants me to go to him."

"And what is he going to do with a weakling like you?" Wufei scoffed.

"Watch it," Casey warned as she glared at the Chinese pilot.

"This is no time for fighting," Duo chimed in. "You are not going to him."

"Why not? If I go to him, maybe he will stop all of this," Casey said.

"Are you _that_ stupid?" Wufei asked. "He's not going to stop his tyranny."

"Keep talking, buddy, and see what happens," Casey threatened. "You have no idea what is going on."

Quatre stepped in between the two with arms out. "Look, guys. We need to go see Howard and see how our Gundams are doing. That's the first step. He was able to get his hands on the new Gundanium, so our Gundams can match with the enemy's."

"Gundams?" Casey looked at Duo. "That was the secret? You are going to rebuild those things?"

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," Duo shrugged.

"No… way," Casey whispered. She backed up from the group, both fear and rage rolling inside of her. Duo grabbed her by the arm and led her to a different part of the house. He could tell that she was about to snap.

"What's up with her?" Wufei asked. "Why does she have to be here? I thought we were going to be keep this confidential. She'll only get in our way."

"She has her reasons," Lista answered in a firm tone. She looked at Quatre, who just shook his head.

Duo took Casey to his room in the house. He gently shoved her inside before getting in after her. He shut the door and looked at her.

"Let me out of here," Casey demanded. She stepped up to Duo, trying to get to the door knob. Duo refused and pushed her away. A fist came in contact with his cheek. He took her hands and held them firmly. He pushed her back and then onto the bed. A growl emanated from deep within his throat.

"Listen to me!" he yelled in frustration. "We are doing this for the people! We aren't following anyone's orders, but our own!" He sighed, letting go of her. He sat down on the bed, stressed out. "Do you think I want to do this? That I don't get tired? I attended the school so I could try and be a normal guy for once." He chuckled at the last sentence. He looked at Casey who was staring at the wall, a defiant look on her face. "Then I met a girl who was tough and had a fiery spirit, just like the color of her hair. She hated me, even attacked me on a few occasions. However, there was something about her that drew me in. I saw the way she treated her friends and the smile she would put on. I then knew that there was more to her than her tough exterior."

"I could seriously kick your ass right now," Casey mumbled. All the rage that she felt seemed to die down. She was tired at this point.

Duo smiled and moved in closer to her. He cupped her face with his hands. "You could. I don't doubt it."

Casey sighed. "What's with you? Don't you take a hint?" She must have said those same words more than once a day. Each time failed to get an answer.

Duo shrugged, a smile on his lips. He moved in even closer, waiting for her to move away, but she didn't. He placed his lips on hers softly. After a few moments, he pulled away. "Don't go to Owen. It's too dangerous. Stay here." Casey didn't say a word but nodded her head. "Good." Duo placed a kiss on her forehead before getting up. He left the room with the door open and Casey to her thoughts.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

The pilots stood before their Gundams. Slowly the giant machines were coming together. They were suspended in the air as the men worked on the legs. Quatre complimented on the work that was being done. Duo mentioned that it would be good to pair up with Deathsscythe again. He glanced over at Casey for a brief moment, knowing full well what she was feeling at the moment. All she could do was stand there in front of the mobile suit known as Deathscythe. The thing looked like the grim reaper in some odd sense. She didn't know how to describe what she was feeling. In all honesty, she was shocked at seeing one in person. On the other hand, she was both scared and angry that they had to be made again.

"So, how do you like them?" came a raspy voice.

Everyone turned their heads to an older gentleman who stood there with his arms crossed. Casey's eyes went wide when she recognized the Hawaiian shirt and dark sunglasses.

"Howard?" she asked almost in disbelief.

Howard turned his attention to the red-head. "That is me. Who might you be?"

"I'm Casey Martin. You worked with my father, Greg Martin, a long time ago," she replied.

Howard looked the girl over and smiled. "I'll be damned. It's been so long since I last saw you. You were just a little kid, getting into everything. Now look at you."

"You know Howard?" Duo asked, confused.

"He and my father used to work on mobile suits together. This was before my father joined the military and started working for OZ," Casey explained.

"So, you have some background on suits?" Trowa asked.

"No. I was allowed to test a few out if I was supervised. I was only allowed to walk them, nothing else. To be honest, my father wasn't too keen on that part at first. He figured it would allow me to understand what he did for work," Casey said with a sad look in her eyes. She could remember the semi-proud look on her father's face when she took her first step inside a completed suit. She only went three steps before getting told to stop. It was one of those few times where he would stop for the day to take her out to eat as a treat.

"So, what you are saying is, is that you are useless," Wufei commented.

Casey glared at the Chinese pilot. She bit the inside of her cheek in order to not say anything. She looked at Howard. "Well, it was good to see you again."

"Same here. Say hello to your father for me," he said.

Casey looked at the cemented ground. "He… died… It was during the war." She didn't bring up Quatre and his Gundam. She knew deep down that the Arabian pilot was still kicking himself, even though she did forgive him. However, she didn't show that she was feeling bad. She had a mask on for so long that it seemed second nature to her. Howard rubbed the back of his neck and gave his condolences. Casey smiled and thanked him. She glanced at the Gundams one last time before excusing herself. She walked out of the area.

"What a small world. How did you guys meet?" Howard asked curiously.

"It's complicated," Duo sighed. "Right now, she's going through a lot of crap."

Howard nodded his head. "I could see it on her face," the older man said. "She'll be fine. I've seen what kind of spunk she has."

Duo smiled. "So have I."

"Let's get to business," Heero said, wasting no more time. "Tell us what has been done so far. We don't have time to waste."

Howard agreed with the young man and started to explain what had to be done. So far, the outer shell of the machines was intact. His men were currently working on the bodies. The weapons were last to be looked at.

"We were informed that the new enemy dolls were made up of some new material," Trowa said.

"Yes. I was aware of this new Gundanium," Howard nodded. "I did some research and it did exist back when OZ was in power. However, not many people knew of the other material. This Owen person must have searched high and low, for it only existed in some of the black markets. It took my men awhile before they tracked some down."

"I wonder… if there is a possible way to enhance our weapons?" Duo asked as he looked at his Gundam. He wanted to make sure that they had the upper hand.

Howard looked at the five machines that were in progress. He turned to the pilots. "I'll see what I can do. I'm sure we can figure something out."

Duo looked over at the garage's entrance with a concerned expression on his face. He knew Casey was pissed about what was going on. He figured that he would give her some space before approaching her again.

* * *

Casey kicked the wall with her foot. She wanted to get out of there, but she had no place to go now that everything was out in the open. She sighed and slid down against the wall. It felt like she had been defeated somehow. A helpless feeling washed over her. She didn't belong there. She felt like the odd man out of the little group of soldiers. Not that she really cared, or at least that was what she was telling herself at the time. She felt her phone vibrate in her jean pocket. She pulled it out and could feel the color drain from her face. Hitting the accept button, she placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Casey. It's been a while," Owen said smoothly on the other end of the receiver. "How is Alfred?"

"What do you want? I know you killed him," she said as she tried to ignore her shaking hand that was at her side.

"I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice. I do feel awful. He was a very good butler."

"Why are you calling me, Owen?" She didn't want to hear any more of his fake feelings.

"I want you, my dear. You see, I built a Gundam that I want you to pilot. But I'm sure you knew that by now."

Casey could feel her stomach drop. Her entire body started to shake involuntarily. A lump formed in the middle of her throat. "Out of all the people out there, why me? Why would you have me do such a thing?" She had no idea how to pilot a machine like that. It was stupid of him to choose her.

Owen only chuckled. "Oh, I have my way to make it work. You owe me for taking you in. I could have just left you to fend for yourself."

"And if I refuse?" she asked, her voice slightly shaking.

"Then I will kill your mother in cold blood and hang her carcass for the whole world to see," he whispered. His voice was filled with malice. Casey's legs felt weak. "I've also been keeping an eye on you. I see that you have befriended a Gundam pilot by the name of Duo Maxwell." There was silence. "I do my research, my pet. Now, if you don't agree on my terms, not only will your mother cease, but so will he."

Casey swallowed hard. She remembered Alfred's plea on her not to go. She knew Duo would be okay. He was a Gundam pilot after all. It was her mother that was a different story. She had no way of protecting herself from a mad man such as Owen. "Where do I meet you?" she whispered, feeling nauseous now.

"I'll text you where to go. There will be a car waiting for you. It will take you to a shuttle that will take you down to Earth," he explained. "Make your way there now and don't tell anyone."

Casey looked over at the doors that led to the garage before running down the hall. Going to him was suicide, but she had no choice.

* * *

Trowa looked at the prints for his Gundam, Heavyarms. "Why don't we add more storage for ammo? Can you do that?" he asked. Howard didn't see a problem. He pointed at some areas on Heavyarms where they could add extra stuff.

Lista entered the area with her cell phone in her hand. She had a flustered look on her face. "I just got off the phone with Lady Une. She sent more suits out. London is looking more like a battlefield with each passing day. As of right now it's on lockdown," Lista explained. "I've also updated Lady Une on the status of the Gundams. We need to act fast." She had this itching feeling to get into a suit and go down to Earth. However, she knew that Quatre and Duo would object to such an idea, especially if she was alone.

"I know that look," Quatre pointed out. "I don't want you doing anything reckless."

"When the time comes, I'm going with you guys," Lista said firmly. "I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing."

"And I don't want my fiancée out there on the battlefield," Quatre countered. However, he knew that there was no talking to her out of it. She would go off even if he was holding onto her and she was dragging him.

"Sally and Noin are also getting ready to go back out there," she mentioned.

"I guess we have no choice but to have the weaklings join us," Wufei commented. Lista ignored him the best that she could.

"Well, while all this is getting done, I'm going to go look for Casey," Duo said. He figured that she had enough time to cool off.

Quatre and Trowa both nodded before he took off. He exited the garage and ran down the long hall. He checked each room and found no one. Fear struck he back of his mind as he took out his cell. He dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. He was brought straight to voicemail.

"Damn it," he groaned. "Casey, you better be okay."

* * *

Casey entered the compound after an anxiety inducing trip down to Earth. She made it to a building about twenty minutes from where she was with the guys. She had to hitchhike to get to her destination. The car was there waiting for her just like Owen said. The vehicle took her to a white shuttle where she was the only passenger. Once the shuttle took off, there was no going back. They landed, and she was brought to a huge building that looked like a mansion. Two tall men greeted her as she made her way to the front desk. The woman that sat there had on a white blouse with golden curls that cascaded down her shoulders. She smiled and told Casey that Owen was expecting her.

Casey scowled at her. "Bring me to him," she demanded, looking at the two burly men. She wasn't going there alone.

The men nodded and led her down the vast hall. She looked around at the tall white pillars, automatically thinking about Ben. She wondered how Amanda was doing. It had been days since she last spoke with her best friend. There were exotic paintings on the walls; one of them was that of a naked woman with an hourglass figure and plump breasts. Casey could feel her heart start to race and her hands start to sweat. This wasn't good. Her nerves were getting the better of her. She had to keep calm and not let Owen see the fear.

They finally stopped at a white painted French door. Once of the men knocked. A voice from within the room summoned them in. They slowly opened the door and set foot inside. Casey walked in behind them, her brows furrowed.

Owen got up from his seat. "Casey! I am so glad that you made it here safety. I hope your trip wasn't too bad."

"Enough with the formalities!" she yelled. "You killed Alfred! How could you?!"

"Must I repeat myself, dear child? I had no choice. If he only stayed out of things, then he would still be with us. He discovered what I was planning. I couldn't allow that," he said nonchalantly It was as if this wasn't a big deal, that he didn't just murder a man.

"Why me? Why choose me for this sick game of yours?" she asked in a shaky voice

"It's simple. Your dear father had blueprints of a Gundam that he wanted to create. I had someone retrieve those prints after I found out that he had died. On those prints the word "Inferno Rose" was put as the name. A tribute to you, Casey Rose Martin. Your father named that Gundam after you."

Casey suddenly felt dizzy. She felt nauseous as her heart raced faster within her chest. "You said that you had my mother. I'm here. Just like you wanted. So, where is she?"

The older man grinned. "I'll have my men take you to her. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do. After that, we will begin with Operation Revenge."

"Clever name," she said sarcastically as she was escorted out of the office.

* * *

"Where else could she have gone to?" Duo asked as he paced the room. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest. "Her phone is off. I tried a million times."

"She must have went for a walk to get her mind off of things. As for her phone, maybe it ran out of battery," Lista said, trying to calm Duo down. "A lot has happened in the last few hours." Duo stopped in his tracks when something hit him.

"What is it?" Quatre asked. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of jasmine tea in front of him.

"Shit. That bastard Owen must have contacted her. That's why her phone is off. That's where she is," Duo said as he slammed a fist against the wall. "I told her to stay here! Why can't she listen for once?!"

"Hang on a second. We don't know that for sure," Trowa said, who was sitting across from Quatre. "Do we have any evidence?"

"I looked _everywhere_ for her. Not to mention she found out that Owen has her mother held hostage somewhere. It makes sense that she went to him," Duo explained angrily.

"We can't do anything right now. Not until our Gundams are complete and ready to go. She'll be fine," Heero said in a firm voice. "He won't hurt her. I'm sure she's with Relena."

"I still don't get how you can be so calm," Duo said with clenched teeth, his hands becoming fists.

"Because carrying on will get us nowhere," Wufei chimed in from the entrance to the kitchen. "Geez. We would be better off without these women."

Duo ignored the last part and groaned in frustration. Was he the only one who actually gave a damn? "I need to take a walk," he said and walked out of the room. He headed outside and into the fresh air. He sat on the stone step with his hands in his hair. He should have gone with her. Even though she agreed to stay by his side, she went off anyway. What a troublemaker.

"Heero is right, you know." Duo looked up and saw Lista standing next to him. She took a deep breath. "I'm sure Owen isn't going to harm her. It's not her that he wants revenge on."

"But if she uses that Gundam, she will get hurt," Duo stated. "Didn't you see how scared she was when she stood in front of our suits? She was terrified." Lista sat down next to her old friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She may seem tough and all, but I have seen fear in her eyes." He remembered that time when he told her that he wasn't coming back to the school. He could see that she was scared and, of course, angry.

"It'll be okay," Lista encouraged. "I think she might have some spunk to hold out until things are done. Plus, Relena will be with her. That I'm sure."

"I sure hope that you are right, Lissy. I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

* * *

The red-head was brought to a room on the far side of the building. She wasn't cuffed or anything, which she thought was weird. She could probably take down both men if she wanted to, but now was not the time. One of the men swung the door open. Two women looked at them, startled to say the least.

"You have a visitor," one of the men said in a deep voice. The man closed the door behind Casey, locking it from the outside.

"Did they capture you, too?" Relena asked as she got up and walked over to their new guest. She didn't understand why Owen was taking all these women.

Casey shook her head. "I came here on my own accord. I was told that my mother was here," she said, eyeing the older woman that was sitting on the floor by her. "If I didn't agree to Owen's demands, she would be killed."

"Why?" Theresa asked as she got to her feet. "Why would you put yourself in danger?" She couldn't believe that she was standing before her daughter, someone who she thought she would never see again. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

Something snapped from within Casey. It was like the dam of rage was let down. Was this woman that concerned for her well-being? She was the one who walked out on her and her father. "Why would it matter? I have no one left," she whispered bitterly, trying to contain the anger that she felt. "Besides, I couldn't have him kill another person, not because of me. I don't want that on my conscience."

"Why would you say that you have nobody?" Theresa asked, her voice small.

"My dad is dead. Alfred got killed. There is no one left for me." She didn't bring up Duo. She looked at the older woman accusingly. "You disappeared when I was little. My life was difficult. There was a time where my dad hardly paid any attention to me."

"You don't understand," Theresa said who was on the verge of tears. "I left because if I didn't, I would have hurt you way more than you would know. I left to protect you from me. I did it because I cared. I'm happy to know that you have grown into such a fine young lady. I was just afraid…"

"Afraid?" Casey almost laughed. Her mother left her family because she was scared? Of what? Commitment?

"I suffer from a mental illness that hasn't been diagnosed, Casey. I haven't gone to a doctor because I'm afraid. I'm just glad that I haven't passed it on to you."

"You still care for your mother," Relena said softly. "That's why you are here. You were thinking about her."

Casey didn't say anything, but she knew Relena was on point. Despite the bitterness that she felt toward the woman about what she did, she couldn't help but want to meet her. She knew she wouldn't be able to bare it if anything happened to the one who gave her life. "As you know, Owen plans on destroying the Earth. I don't know how, but I'm sure he's brewing something up. If I don't go along with his sick plan, then more innocent people will be killed. I don't even know why he is involving me other than the fact that my name was mentioned. He also mentioned that he knew about me and Duo…"

"Duo? Duo Maxwell?" Relena asked. "You know him?"

Casey explained that they were classmates, and possibly something more than that. She told Relena about the Gundams that were being built. She knew for a fact that Owen didn't know about them returning. The door opened again and the same men stepped into the room.

"Visiting hours are over," one of them said. "The boss wants you."

Before Casey could answer, Theresa threw herself at her only daughter. "Please! Don't do this!" she pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't worry about me," Casey said in an almost flat voice. "I'll be fine." She removed her mother from her and took one more look at Relena before leaving. The three of them walked down the hall in silence. The image of her mother and the look of terror in her eyes kept appearing in her mind. She didn't know how to act toward the older woman. She was both angry and relieved, but there was one thing she was certain of. She wasn't going to let Owen have his way.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Casey stood before the gigantic Gundam. The polished red material was shining due to the overhead lighting. Fear started to crawl up her spine as she examined the mobile suit closely. It reminded her of that shadowed figure in her nightmares. She took a peek around it and saw the black handle to the energy ax that was resting on its back. Owen looked over at the young woman and grinned at the expression on her face. He went onto boasting that it was the ultimate weapon. She looked at him, trying to put on a brave face. Pointing to the cable, he told her to grab it. Hesitating at first, she grabbed the cord with her left hand. She was immediately brought up to the entrance to the Gundam. The red-head swallowed as she looked down at the older man.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he yelled. When he got no answer, his grin grew wider, knowing full well that she was completely terrified. "The other reason why I chose you, my darling, was because you have spunk. That toughness of yours is perfect for this mission." Casey looked at the gray seat that was in the cockpit behind her. She started to feel faint. "Come back down. We aren't doing anything yet. This was just a show and tell." Casey had no trouble listening to that order. She took the cable eagerly into her hands and slid down to the ground. She stumbled a bit as she touched the concrete floor. Her legs felt like jelly all of a sudden. "Tomorrow we will start with the testing."

"Testing? What kind of testing?" she asked. She didn't know how long her brave front was going to last. Not only that, but the smile on his face told her that he could see right through her.

"Not anything that you should be worrying about," he said with a reassuring smile. "I suggest a good night's rest. I have a separate room just for you." He guided her out of the huge garage.

They walked down the empty hall, side by side, not saying a word to each other. Casey felt like she was going to be sick. Owen greeted a young man that was coming from the opposite direction. He was tall and lean with his medium length brown hair pulled back. He was wearing a tight black tee and blue jeans. His brown combat boots made a thumping noise as he walked. Casey stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.

"Casey, this is one of my assistants, Jonathan," Owen introduced. "He has been such a big help with getting the Gundam ready."

It was as if the panic button that was inside her head was hit. Seeing those blue eyes look at her again, the smile that he had was what drew her in, in the first place… He definitely wasn't the same person that he was years ago, but then again, neither was she.

"It's a pleasure, Casey," Jonathan said with a smile. "However, I think we have met in the past. Your father was in the military? Mr. Martin, was it?"

Casey didn't respond to the question. She didn't like his tone of voice. It was the same tone that Owen had: devious, up to no good with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, my. So, you two are old friends? Well, that's great!" Owen said, patting them both on the shoulder. Casey glanced over at the older man, fully aware of the act that he was playing. "Why don't I leave you two alone, then? Catch up on things." He looked at her. "Be at the garage by seven a.m. Don't be late." Owen patted Jonathan on the shoulder one last time as he passed him. Casey saw a quick smirk on Jonathan's lips.

"So, Casey. How have you been?" he asked cheerfully as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She froze when she felt him touch her. All the barriers that she had were back up and on high alert. "Don't touch me," she hissed.

Jonathan laughed and removed his arm. "Well, well, well. This is new coming from you," he grinned. "I thought for sure that you would be delighted to see me, Case."

The nickname made her stomach churn. It was nauseating. She swallowed the bile that was rising within her throat. She wanted to punch him so hard that he wouldn't be able to get up. "Delighted? You think I would be _happy_ to see you?" she scoffed. "I know you were the one who gave Owen the prints. Who else would it have been? You were so close to my father."

"Yeah, I was. He was tool… just like you. How do you think I got as far as I did? I climbed the ranks but went into hiding when OZ fell. I didn't want to get caught. And what about you? You were just a lovesick pup, following its master around." Hearing those words pierced her heart. The emotions of anger and sadness were like a roaring storm inside of her. "But look at you now. You came here on your own free will. How heroic. Do you honestly think that you can save your mother? The world?"

There was a long stretch of silence between them.

"I do not, actually," she whispered as she clenched her fists that were at her side. "What I do know about piloting a Gundam…?" She looked up at the man that was standing before her, feeling the pressure behind her eyes. She would not cry. Not in front of that man. "But I won't back down, either. I will fight to make sure that no more people get hurt… especially from assholes like you." It was literally taking all of her strength not to break. She knew the other Gundams were being built. For the first time, she was counting on them. Her chances of dying were high, but she had hopes that Duo would find her.

Jonathan clapped his hands sardonically. "What a wonderful little speech. You have definitely changed since the last time that I saw you. Tell me something. Do you have a boyfriend?" The question caught her off guard. She clenched her teeth hard, not answering the question. Jonathan chuckled and leaned in closer to her ear. "I know all about Duo." Her eyes widened. "But don't worry. I'll make sure his death is quick and painless."

Casey shoved him away and leaned up against the wall to her right. "Get away from me."

A smirk appeared across his lips once more. "Very well. Sleep well, Case. You are definitely going to need it."

Casey watched as Jonathan disappeared down the hall. She slid down the wall and hugged her knees. She sobbed quietly, releasing all the tension that had built up within her. When they first met, he was so kind to her. He always held her hand and gave her gentle kisses. Then all of a sudden, he turned cruel, like a flip of a coin. He said stuff to her that made her cry at night. Then he told her that he was only with her because of her father. She was the tool. He was also interested in the Gundams just like her father. Not only that, her father was rising in the ranks, too. She didn't want to see the signs of being used. She was lonely back then. All those memories came flooding back. She sobbed harder while questioning if she could really fight against the two of them.

* * *

Duo sat in Deathscythe's cockpit, working on some of the controls. Three out of the five Gundams were almost complete. Heavyarms and Wing Zero were thirty percent done. The braided pilot stopped for a second and sat back against the chair. He sighed and closed his tired eyes for a bit. Lack of sleep was finally catching up to him. He was too worried about Casey.

"You've been going at it for at least four hours," said a female voice.

Duo opened his eyes halfway. "Casey?" He looked forward and saw Lista holding onto the cable. She was outside of the cockpit entrance.

She smiled softly at him. "I'm afraid it's just me," she said apologetically. Duo only nodded. "Heero is worried about Relena, just as you are with Casey. He just pushes through it."

"I thought we were past this. I hung up my God of Death jacket a while ago. I wanted to see what else there was besides the battlefield." He smiled. "I even met a girl who totally hated me at first. I guess I'll always be a soldier. It's part of my destiny, I guess." He looked at his childhood friend with determination in his violet eyes. "I'll get her back, Lissy. Even if I have to go to Owen myself."

Lista smiled. "Don't do anything stupid. God of Death or not, you are still human." She slid down the cable, leaving Duo alone.

Duo looked at the controls in front of him. "The God of Death…" He clenched the wrench that was in his hand.

* * *

When Casey entered the garage the next morning, only the Gundam was in the vast room. It looked like they had removed everything so nothing was in the way. The red-head got no sleep the night before. Why would she? Her mind was racing with all different types of thoughts. Not to mention seeing Jonathan made her want to vomit. She rubbed one eye and looked at Owen.

"You won't have to do a thing. The program that's installed in the Gundam will tell your body what to do," he explained confidently.

She raised a brow at what was said to her. This sounded safe. "Program? What program is this?" Casey demanded.

"It's called System I. It stands for "insanity." This program will make you lose all senses," Owen grinned. "It's perfect for the ones that don't know how to pilot machines." Casey looked at Owen, stunned. The man had really lost it.

"That's crazy!" Relena exclaimed. She was with Jonathan, who had her by the arm. One pistol was at his side. "You can't force her to do this!"

"Are we forgetting that she was the one who came to me?" Owen asked.

"That's because you forced me," Casey replied, annoyed at this whole ordeal. "Using my mother as bait, just to get me to come to you."

"Exactly. That's what I said. You came to me on your own. You didn't have to come here. The woman known as your 'mother' hasn't seen you in years. She's practically a stranger to you," Owen said, shrugging his shoulders. Casey was about to say something crude, but then she saw Jonathan staring at her. She zipped her mouth and swallowed. Owen walked toward the Gundam. "Let's stop this meaningless quarrel and start with our training. You just have to get into the cockpit. There should be a helmet on the seat. Put that on and then turn on the machine." Casey glared at the older man. "It's just a button that you press, dear. It's not that complicated."

She heard snickering coming from Jonathan's direction. Her blood was boiling as she walked toward the massive machine. _Maybe if I turn the tables and direct the Gundam away from whatever he's targeting…_ she thought. _I can't let him win._

She took the cable up to the cockpit. After taking the helmet into her hands, she took a seat. She looked down at the controls, not knowing what any of them did. With shaky hands, she put the helmet on. The door closed and locked her in. She saw a green button on the panel and pressed it. Red lights appeared all around her. A voice inside of her head welcomed her. Her limbs started to tingle until she felt nothing. Any thought process that she had seemed to go out the window. She had completely lost the control of her mind and body.

Owen smiled as the Gundam's eyes glowed yellow. The mobile suit started to move, taking one step at a time. "Good. Good. I think it's working."

Relena watched as the arms started to move. "This is suicide, Casey," she thought as she watched the huge weapon appear.

A red laser in the shape of an ax's blade flared on. A few swipes in the air even made Jonathan gasp with amazement and fear. It was magnificent.

"You see? This thing is going to do it all," Owen stated proudly. "Of course, the hidden beam cannon inside the thing is the weapon that will destroy the Earth."

Relena didn't budge. She just stared at the deranged man as he clapped his hands like a child. It was pathetic. She knew Casey wasn't strong enough for this mission, not with that system playing with her mind.

Casey started to feel her hands as they moved on their own. Her vision was blurred. The voice in her head was telling her which way to swing, which way to walk. She closed her eyes, trying to tune out the voice. It was no use, though. Her head started to ache from the pressure of the system.

Owen tilted his head as the Gundam stumbled. "How long has it been, Jonathan?"

The young man looked at his watch. "I would say about twenty minutes."

"All right. I think it's time we got her out of there. We need to take baby steps with this," Owen said. He took a small device out of his pants pocket. "Casey. Casey, it's Owen. Turn off the Gundam."

The machine stumbled again, this time falling on its back with a loud thud. Owen rushed over to it. The door to the cockpit opened, exposing a very pale red-head. Casey took the helmet off of her head with shaky hands, leaned over the side, and vomited.

"Well, that went swell," Jonathan said sarcastically.

"With more training she will be even better," Owen said matter-of-factly as he helped her to her feet. He looked at Relena. "Take her back to your room for now." He practically shoved Casey against her.

Jonathan scowled as the two ladies slowly left the room. Relena was holding Casey up the best that she could. "Why her? She's a dead beat. I can do so much more with that Gundam than she ever could."

"Oh, I know that," Owen laughed and headed toward the exit. "But I have high hopes for her."

Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest, not pleased with the answer that he got.

Back at the room, Relena gave Casey a sip of water. The red-head swallowed the cold liquid. She didn't realize that her mouth was so dry. Her head felt like it was going to split in two. She could also hear the voice that she heard while she was in the Gundam faintly.

Theresa was by her daughter's side, stroking the top of her head. "What happened?"

"She used the Gundam and the system that was in it. It was toying with her mind," Relena explained softly. She thought back to the Zero system. It had the same effect: lost in your head with no control. At least, that's what she was told.

"I'll get… better…" Casey whispered. "I… have to."

"Stop. You're going to kill yourself," Relena stated firmly.

Casey smiled weakly. "He can't win, Relena. He… can't…" Theresa grabbed her daughter's hand into hers and pleaded with her. Casey looked to her right and saw that her mother was in tears. "You are crying… why?"

"Because my only daughter is committing suicide out there," Theresa cried. "I don't want to lose you…"

"What are you saying? You were the one who walked out of me… on dad… If it weren't for Owen, we wouldn't have even met."

"As I said earlier, I _had_ to. It was for the sake of the family. I couldn't put you in danger," Theresa explained. Casey just looked at the older woman in silence. She did notice the hurt and regret in the older woman's eyes.

* * *

Quatre entered the room. "Owen is going to make another speech." He turned the television on and flipped to the right channel. Everyone in the room waited for what was about to be said.

Owen was standing at the podium, dressed in a black suit and tie. His hair was slicked back, and he had a smile on his face. Once again, the press was present, ready to take notes. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you are all doing well. This broadcast is live both on Earth and in space. The colonies are a great place, and they are the future of the human race. Whether people believe it or not, but the Earth can't hold up forever. That being said, this is my warning to you all. To be quite blunt, everyone who wants to escape can do so within the next seventy-two hours. Otherwise, anyone left on Earth will be blown to smithereens," Owen said nonchalantly.

The people in the room gasped. One man shouted that Owen couldn't do that to the people and their home planet. One lady said that she had no desire living in outer space.

"He is truly insane," Duo said as he continued to watch the people as they flipped out on the television screen.

"I'm protecting you! The Earth is no place for human life anymore! Don't you get it?! This planet is ruled by injustice! I am giving you all a chance! The colonies are where we belong! No person is left out in outer space!" Owen shouted into the microphone.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Lista asked, almost to herself.

"He's delusional. The faster we get rid of him, the better," Wufei scoffed. "Nataku and I will be ready."

"Casey is with him," Duo mentioned. "She's going to be responsible for this if we don't get her out." The last thing that he wanted was for her to be blamed for blowing up a planet.

"She won't be responsible for anything," Quatre said. "It's all on him. I do agree with Wufei, though. We have to end this before it's too late. He could destroy the Earth in space or on the planet. My guess would be in space. He would need to get a good view of it if he wants to succeed."

"What about the mobile dolls that are attacking the cities on Earth?" Lista asked.

"The Preventers are down there," Heero answered. "They can hold them off until we get things rolling."

"Fat chance," Lista said. "They are still having trouble getting rid of the enemy."

"Calm down. Noin and Sally are down there," Heero said.

"This battle isn't as severe as to what we had to go through years ago," Wufei mentioned. "It seems that the moron is only interested in England."

"Still… people's lives are at stake here," Trowa said from the sofa.

"Geez. Will there be any peace in this world?" Lista asked in frustration. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Quatre smiled and nodded.

"We fight for peace. Any obstacle that comes our way, we will get through it," he said softly.

It was Lista's turn to nod. He was right. "I'm going to contact Noin and see if she needs any help. I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"We need to get Relena and Casey out of there. Maybe you can find out where they are located," Duo suggested.

"I will see what I can come up with. I'm going to need a mobile suit, anyway," she said with her hands on her hips.

"Then we have some sort of plan," Duo said as he got up from his seat. "I just hope we aren't too late."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Lady Une repeated the words "seventy-two hours" in her head. She looked at the latest reports that came in on England. Her team was still slowly taking out the mobile suits as they appeared on the site. However, the numbers weren't as rapid as before. Ever since Owen announced his plan for the Earth, the dolls were trickling in at a steady rate. That didn't mean that the chaos and destruction was taking a break. The phone on her desk rang and she quickly picked it up.

"Une here," she said tiredly.

"It's Lista," the voice on the other end said. "I'm sure you saw the announcement on the television." Lady Une was silent. "The Gundams are almost complete. The guys want to move on before anything happens." Lista took a deep breath. "I am working on trying to find out where Relena is being kept. Once I find out, I will be making a trip down to Earth."

"How do you know that she will be on Earth?"

"I just have a feeling." There was a pause on both ends of the phone. "How is Sally and Noin holding up?"

"For now, they are holding up. Out of all the soldiers, they have taken out the most dolls," Une replied. "However, I don't know how long they will last." Lista reassured her that help was on its way. "Just be careful, Lista." After she hung up the phone, she sat back down at her desk. Running her hands through her straight brunette hair, she let out a sigh.

"Do you still require my assistance?" asked a voice.

Une picked her head up and looked at Zechs, who was sitting in the chair that was in front of her desk. His expression was neutral as he looked at his commander. "The Gundams are almost complete. Lista is currently trying to track down Relena. With the Gundams, they are hoping to stop Owen in his tracks."

"Officials have tried to stop that man but failed because they didn't have the tools. He has men looking out at every corner," Zechs explained.

"Aren't you worried about Relena?" Une asked curiously.

"Relena is tough and knows what to do in such situations. This is not the first time this has happened to her," he replied. "That man won't hurt her until the very end, and believe me, he won't get that far." He got up from his seat. "I'm going to assist Noin and the others. Keep me updated on the Gundam pilots."

Une nodded as she watched her soldier leave her office.

* * *

In her room, Casey was getting herself ready. Owen told her that they would be moving out shortly. She wished she knew where. She washed her face with cold water and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked exhausted. Bags were forming under her eyes. The countless, long hours of being inside that robot was taking its toll on her body and mind. The headaches were lingering longer. With all the things that were happening, she had trouble trying to counterattack the man.

She dried her face with a towel and made her way out of the bathroom. As she exited the room, she stopped dead in her tracks when she found Jonathan sitting on the end of the bed.

"You okay? You took a while in there. Not to mention it looks like you haven't slept in decades," he said with a sardonic smile.

"Why are you in my room?" Casey demanded. "Get out of here."

Jonathan got up and slowly walked toward her. "But I'm worried about you, Case."

"Stop calling me that! Stop with the act, too. I know damn well that you aren't here because you were worried about me." Jonathan caught her off guard and pushed her against the wall of the room. He pressed his body against hers as he forced her to look up at him. "You better remove yourself from me."

"Stop with the tough act," Jonathan said in a smooth tone. "Don't act like you still aren't into me." He crushed his lips against hers, her arms trying to push his body from her. His tongue slithered into her mouth, making her almost gag with disgust. Why couldn't she move him? How come her body wasn't reacting to what her brain was telling her? She knew she could knock the shit out of him. Why couldn't she? She felt his hand move to her breast, making her scream. Her heart was pounding fast. Her breathing was quickening. She closed her eyes tightly as Duo came into her mind.

A knock emanated from the bedroom door. A man's voice asked if Casey was ready to go. Jonathan removed himself from her, letting her fall to her knees. "Answer the man."

"Y-Yes…" Casey choked. When there was no answer, she got to her feet slowly. With shaky legs she made it toward the door. "I'll be there in a minute."

"I'll let Owen know," the man said on the other side.

"I guess the side effects were true," Jonathan said as he walked past her. He opened the bedroom door. "The system leaves the body unresponsive for a bit. I just wanted to try it out." He winked at her and walked out of the room.

Casey ran back into the bathroom and leaned over the toilet. Her heart was still racing like crazy inside of her chest. Her stomach was churning. Tears slowly ran down her face as she forced herself to get back up. She had to be strong if she wanted to make a difference. After wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, she left the bedroom. Hopefully this nightmare would soon be over.

* * *

A blast emanated from the far right of Noin as she took down an Andromeda suit. People frantically ran out of the area, screaming in terror. Five more mobile dolls came from that direction.

"Are you okay, Noin?" Sally asked over the intercom. "That explosion came from your area."

"Yeah. I'm all right," Noin frowned. "We have to get these people out of here. There are more dolls showing up."

The Chinese soldier told her that she was on it. After the announcement that Owen made, a lot of people were evacuating. Some of them were still adamant in staying put or were too old for traveling. Those were the ones that Sally was trying to round up. She just didn't know where to take them.

"This is ridiculous," Noin said in frustration. She was starting to feel the stress take effect on her body. Her intercom started to beep. "Noin here."

"Looks like I'm not too late to the party," a male voice said.

"Zechs…" Noin said in relief.

"There is a place not too far from here that seems to be safe for now. If we can traffic the people there, then we can finish the rest of these mobile suits," Zech said. He sent over the coordinates to the place.

"Great. Sally, did you get that?" Noin asked.

"I got it loud and clear. Let's roll on out," Sally replied. She got out of her suit and descended to the crowd. People stopped where they were and looked at the soldier, scared. "Follow me. There is a safe haven for you that's not too far from here." Her goal was to get as many people away from the destruction as possible.

Zechs and Noin teamed up side by side as the enemy rushed forward. It was like old times. Zechs sliced a doll in half while Noin stabbed one in the chest. Sparks flew from it as it fell to the ground.

"What made you come back?" Noin asked.

"I figured you needed an extra hand. Besides, I had nothing better to do than let some insane man take over," Zechs replied.

"Fair enough. I've missed you," Noin said as she dodged an attack.

"You could say that the feeling is mutual," Zechs said with a small smile. The two continued to fend off the oncoming suits.

Sally led the people down a deserted alleyway and stopped in front of a dilapidated building. The door was knocked off its hinges. She ushered the people in one by one. "You must be very quiet," she whispered.

"Will we be safe here?" one mother asked in a very low voice. She was hugging her child close to her.

"For now. The enemy is focusing on a different area. We are doing our best to make sure this doesn't get any worse." The mother gave Sally a small smile, but the soldier knew that she wasn't convinced. In all honesty, neither was she.

* * *

Owen walked toward the waiting shuttle. All three ladies were with him, surrounded by guards. Casey, who was still feeling sick from earlier, looked over at Relena and saw that she had no emotion on her face. She looked forward and held her stomach. Her mother was by her side, holding her hand. She saw Jonathan standing by the entrance of the shuttle. He was staring right at her with an evil smirk on his face. She felt like she was going to be sick again.

"Where are you taking us?" Relena finally asked.

"Space," Owen answered with a smile. "The time is approaching. You will witness your precious Earth get blown to bits. Your kingdom and the peace that you represent will cease to exist."

Relena stopped in her tracks. "I already told you that my kingdom is no more. It fell twice, and it will remain that way. There is no need for this crazy plan of yours."

Owen stopped and walked up to her. He got close to her face. "That may be so, but the Earth still stands. Even after we were banished from your kingdom, the people from this planet did nothing to help us."

"So, you are going to punish everyone?" Relena asked. "No one owes you anything."

"Listen to yourself. You are insane," Casey commented. "Just because your family did something wrong doesn't mean that you have to go and punished innocent people." Just then, realization hit her. She did the same thing when she was in school. She treated everyone as if they did something to her, but that wasn't the case. They were just going on with their lives. She shouldn't hate people just because they were soldiers of a past war. Amanda and Duo were trying to show her that. She looked at the ground, ashamed of herself.

"I will see this plan through. Unless you are backing out, Miss Martin. If so, I can have your mother beheaded," Owen threated. He looked at the older woman who was standing next to her. Casey's insides were churning. She glowered at him but said nothing else. In the back of her mind, she knew that hope was there. The Gundams would bring an end to all of this. "That's what I thought. Shall we go, then?" The three ladies were silent as they followed him to the shuttle.

The ride into outer space was a quiet one. Casey sat next to Relena while her mother sat next to Owen. The man insisted just in case Casey decided to pull something while on board the shuttle. Jonathan sat in the opposite row of where Owen was. From time to time he would turn his head and look in Casey's direction. She wished she was invisible from his sight. The event that happened in her room replayed in her mind. She moved down in her seat, looking out the tiny window. The L2 colony cluster was coming into view. Home, sweet home. The shuttle started to shake as they entered the colony's atmosphere.

* * *

Duo made the final adjustments to Deathscythe. "Fantastic!" He took the cable down and looked up at his partner. "Looking good there, buddy."

"All set?" Quatre asked from behind the braided pilot. He walked toward his friend. "Sandrock is already. We just need to wait for the others."

Duo frowned. "I don't think that we have time to wait for them. We only have a few hours left."

The Arabian pilot looked up at the black Gundam. He knew Duo was right. Even though seventy-two hours seemed like a long time, those hours flew by them. Not only that, but Owen was moving fast now that he got everyone's attention. He wanted a show, to prove to people that his twisted morals were virtuous. He also knew that his friend was worried sick about Casey, and he couldn't blame him.

Duo let out a big sigh and looked at his friend. "Why don't I help you with Sandrock? Look him over and see if anything needs to be added? I need a distraction," Duo offered. Of course, his plan got ruined when Lista came running into the area.

"There's a shuttle from Earth that just landed on L2," she said. "Owen and his men were on that shuttle with three women."

"Casey has to be one of them. Where on L2?" Duo asked impatiently.

Lista showed him a piece of paper that had all the information. "I plan on going there. Noin requested back up. It's getting bad even with Zechs' help. Wufei and Trowa are heading down to Earth. I don't know why the dolls have increased suddenly." She looked at Duo. "There's more to this. There was a different aircraft that was carrying what looked like a Gundam." She saw Duo's face drop, all color drained from it. "You don't think?"

Duo cursed under his breath. His fear was becoming a reality. He looked up at his Gundam. "I'm going after her. I can't allow her to kill herself."

"And I know that I can't stop you. I'll accompany you. Howard made me a mobile suit that should get me to where I have to go," Lista said. She turned her head when she heard footsteps coming up from behind her. Heero stood next to her with a look of frustration. "Is the Wing Zero ready?"

Heero shook his head. "Almost," he replied.

"I'll go with you, Lista. It's better if you have back up," Quatre suggested.

Lista smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Then it's settled," Duo said. "Let's go, guys."

"Once Zero is complete, I will also join you. Just let me know your whereabouts. It's about time that we end this," Heero said to Duo.

"You got it," he said with a firm nod of his head. Without another word, everyone went their separate ways.

* * *

Owen and Jonathan sat in an office. The younger man rambled on about how Casey shouldn't pilot the Inferno Rose. In his opinion, he didn't see any improvement in her skills. She still got sick to her stomach which should have passed by now. Owen simply waved him off. Her durability was getting better, and that's all he needed.

One of his men entered the room. "Sir, there have been three figures spotted that are heading this way."

"What do you mean?" Owen asked in annoyance. He didn't have time for games.

"Well, one looked like a normal mobile suit. However, the other two looked like Gundams," he explained. Jonathan looked at Owen in surprise.

"A Gundam? Are you sure?" Owen asked.

"That's what the surveillance showed," the soldier said. "What do we do, sir?"

"Get the girl. It looks like her little friend has been plotting. I guess we should go with our plan early," Owen smirked.

The three girls were crammed into a small room. Theresa was in a corner, freaking out because of the limited space she had. Casey watched her mother from a distance. She tried comforting the older woman, but it was no good. She then turned her attention to Relena, who sat where she was, calm and collected.

"How can you be so calm?" she asked curiously.

Relena smiled and looked at the red-head. "I guess I have gotten used to these types of situations. I can't lose control of my emotions. It won't help the situation. Besides, I'm not afraid of dying. If it's meant to be, it will happen. At least I know that I died trying to protect the peace of the world."

Casey looked at her in awe. She admired Relena's bravery and strength as a woman. Even though Casey had a tough exterior herself, she was in no comparison to the woman in front of her.

The door to the small room opened.

"All right, girlie. The boss wants you to report to the main garage," said the bodyguard. The red-head looked at Relena and then to her mother, who looked at her daughter with worried eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she got up from where she was sitting.

Without a word, she followed the man down the narrow hall. They took a right and entered a place that looked like an arena. She thought that she had to go to a garage. What was this place? Owen stood next to the Inferno Rose.

"It looks like we will be doing things a little bit different," he said as he walked up to her. "Your little friend is heading our way."

"Duo?" she asked in surprise. Hope filled her being at the news.

"That's right. However, the reunion won't be as sweet, I'm afraid. You see, the two of you will be battling." Casey's eyes widened with terror. "And I expect you to win. We do have a planet to destroy."

He maneuvered her to the Gundam. She took the cable in her hand and moved up to the entrance. She entered the cockpit, her nerves wracking against her body. She couldn't say no to Owen's orders, and she sure as hell didn't want to battle Duo. She thought about what Relena had said just moments before. Could she be just as brave? She did come this far. With her hands tightly over the shift, she closed her eyes. If she could just hold on and tell Duo everything, then maybe she wouldn't have to fight him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Duo flew through space. He had a sick feeling inside. The three entered the section of the colony that Lista had written down as their destination. A building came into view with no one in sight. As they got closer, his intercom beeped. Duo pressed the green button and a familiar face appeared. He almost choked. On the tiny screen he saw Casey's face. The helmet that she was wearing cast a shadow over her eyes.

"I have been waiting for you, Duo Maxwell," she said in an almost robotic tone. "Enter the building." The screen went blank.

"Duo, what's wrong?" Lista asked. His Gundam stopped so suddenly.

"Casey just… messaged me. She told me to go into the building," Duo explained. An uneasy feeling washed over him. She didn't look right to him.

"It's got to be a trap," Quatre said with certainty.

"I'll go with you," Lista said without hesitation.

Duo shook his head. "No. You guys stay out of this." He looked at Lista on the video screen. "Lissy, you should go look for Relena. She has to be somewhere around the vicinity." They had to stop Owen and take him down. He would deal with Casey and get her back. Quatre didn't like it, but he knew their focus was to get Owen.

"Be careful," Quatre said. "We'll find another way into the building. Let us know if you need backup."

"Thanks, but I'll be okay," Duo said, his voice serious.

Deathscythe descended toward the building and entered the garage. It was dark inside until the overhead lights went on. Standing in front of him was the white and red Gundam.

Casey appeared on the video screen once more. "Surrender, Duo Maxwell."

Duo grounded his teeth. "This isn't funny, Casey." Duo said in a serious tone. "What are you doing in that thing and how are you able to operate it?" His eyes went wide when he finally noticed the helmet. "Fuck. Casey, remove that thing now!"

Casey repeated herself as if she didn't even hear him. "If you don't surrender, I will be forced to take you out." On the other side of her screen, a video of Owen was present. "He's not backing down."

"I didn't think he would," Owen said truthfully. "Take him out. I want a good show." Casey nodded and moved toward her target.

Owen turned off the video link and looked at the surveillance screens in the room. After Casey got into the Gundam, the rest of them exited the room. The guards took Relena and Theresa and moved them into a different part of the building that was detached from the garage. Jonathan looked at Owen.

"I don't understand why you have the enemy here," he said. "It would have been better to have her battle that guy elsewhere."

"I didn't think it was necessary," Owen said with a smirk. "I want a show before we move on."

Jonathan looked at the older man in disbelief. The older man was losing it by the day. He exited the surveillance room and headed down the hall. At this rate, he'll be caught, and no one will be able to carry out the mission. He knew that Casey wouldn't hold up, and when she goes, he vowed to himself to take over.

Duo dodged the energy axe by a hairline. The Inferno Rose charged forward once more, swinging the axe with smooth movements. Duo raised his scythe and blocked the attack. He was surprised at how swift the thing moved. For someone who had no experience in piloting, she was doing a good job. It had to be that helmet that she was wearing. He shoved her away and took a few jumps back. The Inferno Rose took one step and then halted.

"Casey?" He got no response. He looked at his video link and saw that she had her head down. Her breathing was labored. "Casey! Can you hear me?!" No response. He didn't even hit her that bad, or was at least trying not to. Her Gundam was still intact. The Inferno Rose moved again and lunged for Deathscythe. The energy axe reactivated and contacted Deathscythe's right shoulder. Sparks flew out as the black Gundam hit the ground. Duo groaned as his head smacked against the head rest of his seat. He grunted as he made his Gundam get back up.

"Duo…" His name came out weak.

"Casey! Can you hear me?!" Duo shouted again. She repeated his name again. Her normal voice was coming back. "Hang on, baby. I'm coming to you." The Gundam's eyes glowed yellow once more as it charged toward Duo. It bent down and swung its leg into Deathscythe's. Once again, Duo found himself on the ground. "This is getting really annoying!" He bounced back and used all his weight to push the other Gundam back. He wasn't going to hurt her, that he swore to himself.

The Inferno Rose stumbled and fell back, landing on the ground. Duo entered a number quickly and Quatre appeared on video. "Quatre. I need you to come here. I need help with her. I can tell that she isn't going to last much longer." His tone was desperate. They had to get her out of that thing.

"Not a problem. Lista found a different entrance and went in alone. I'm close by keeping watch," Quatre explained. "I'll be right over." The video link ended.

"Open the door, Casey. I'm coming out," Duo instructed.

After releasing the hatch, he made his way down to the ground. Moments later the door to the Inferno opened. Duo quickly climbed up the suit and held her face in his hands. Her breathing was labored, and her eyes were closed. There was no doubt that she had passed out. He ripped the helmet off and held her close to his body. He reassured her that he was there and that nothing was going to happen to her.

"How sweet," said a voice, the words dripping with sarcasm. Duo's head shot up and saw Jonathan standing a few feet away from them. "She's a real catch. Her perfect body, her sweet scent. So nice."

Duo's blood started the boil. "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded. He tightened his hold on Casey. Who was this weirdo and why did he start saying all those things about her?

"She didn't tell you about me? I'm surprised. I know all about you, Duo Maxwell. One of the five Gundam pilots," Jonathan grinned.

"You're that asshole, Jonathan," Duo sneered.

"Asshole? Wow. That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Jonathan laughed. "You don't even know me."

"I know plenty. Now what did you do to her? Tell me!" the braided pilot demanded.

The other man just shrugged. "I was able to enjoy myself with her. Her lips were so soft. Her breasts were perfect. I would have loved to hear her yell out my name."

He was lying. He was obviously looking for a fight. Duo took Casey into his arms and jumped down to the ground. He placed her gently on the floor. If it was a fight he wanted, he got one. Duo lunged at his opponent, punching him straight in the side of his face. Jonathan stumbled back and placed a hand on his jaw. A streak of blood appeared. Jonathan returned the favor and round-kicked Duo in his middle. The Gundam pilot flew a couple of feet away, landing hard on the concrete floor.

"Duo!" Quatre cried as he entered the vicinity.

Duo held up his hand as he slowly got back up. His side was in pain, but he could handle it. "Just get her out of here!" he demanded. "I will take care of this scumbag on my own!" He glared at Jonathan, who was just standing there with a smug look on his face.

Quatre didn't say anything more. He ran quickly to where Casey was laying. Yells and grunts could be heard as the two men went at it. Quatre gently picked her up and held her in his arms, bridal style. She lazily opened her eyes for a second before passing out again. He had to get her to the infirmary.

"You're pretty good," Jonathan complimented as he took another hit from Duo's fist. "No wonder she fell for you."

"Shut up, you filthy piece of shit!" Duo yelled. "You are the reason for her pain! You are the reason why she is the way she is!" Duo smashed his elbow into Jonathan's face. "You don't deserve to live!"

"Give me a break," Jonathan spat. Blood was dripping from his open wounds. "She's a slut and will always be one." One more blow to the stomach ended the fight. Jonathan fell to the ground.

Duo panted as he held his side with his right hand. All the rage that he felt started to disintegrate. He looked up and saw Quatre standing to the side. "Take her to the doctor. Stay with her and make sure that she's okay. I'm going to go find Owen," Duo said, his tone hard. He bent down and took the gun that Jonathan had at his, surprised that the idiot didn't use it on him. The freak was getting more of a rise out of Duo's anger. The pair left the area, leaving the unconscious man alone.

* * *

Lista made her way down multiple hallways. She was able to take out a few of Owen's men with ease. She held her gun tightly in both hands as she ran down one more deserted hall. There was a door at the very end with two men standing in front of it. She had a pretty good guess who was behind the door. She put her gun away and walked nonchalantly toward the two men.

"Yo. There is commotion happening by where the Gundam is. Owen told me to tell you that he wants you guys to investigate. I'll take over in the meantime," she said with her hands on her hips. "I don't know why he wants you, though. I could have handled it."

"Not likely, sweetheart," one of them said with a smile. "We'll go. Just stand here and look pretty. Those two won't be much of an issue, anyway."

The two men stepped aside and started down the hall. In one quick move, they were both down on the ground. Lista crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at the unconscious men below her. "That's what you get for calling me sweetheart," she said with a smirk. She quickly turned around and kicked the door down. Theresa let out a short yell before Relena placed a hand over her mouth. A smile graced her pink lips when she saw Lista standing in the doorway, a relieved expression on her face. "Found you. I had a feeling that you would be in here."

"Who is she?" Theresa asked, terrified that more strangers were popping up.

"She's here to rescue us," Relena said softly. "Where are the others?"

Lista filled her in as much as possible. She explained how Trowa and Wufei went down to Earth while Quatre and Duo remained here. She also told her that Heero was waiting for the Wing Zero to be completed. "Duo went after Casey," Lista added. "Apparently, she is being controlled by the Gundam that she's in."

"She's not hurt, is she?" Theresa asked anxiously.

"That I do not know," Lista said sadly. "We do have to move, though."

Relena shook her head. "I want to go to Owen," she said. The dark-haired woman looked at her in confusion. "I'm not letting him off the hook. He will pay for what he has done." Sighing, Lista took out her gun and led them out of the room.

* * *

Jonathan sat up and held his head. He cursed under his breath as he took out his cell. He dialed a number and placed the phone to his ear. "They took her, Owen. I knew she would be useless. I'm taking over the mission now. You just watch. I'll destroy the Earth and make the colonies proud!"

"Then hurry up," Owen said as he looked out of the window to his office. "I don't want to waste any more time."

Jonathan smiled and agreed before hanging up. He slowly got to his feet and headed for the Gundam that was lying down on its back. After climbing in, he tossed the helmet to the side and started it up. Red reflected in his eyes as he moved out toward space.

Heero cruised through space, heading toward his destination. Lista gave him the coordinates to where they were. She also informed him that Relena was with her. He raised a brow as he spotted a mobile suit that wasn't moving. Both of its arms were out in front of it. He moved closer and realized that it was a Gundam that he didn't recognize. He flew closer and sent out a signal.

"This is Heero Yuy of the Wing Zero. Are you the girl named Casey?" he inquired.

A video window popped up and showed a man instead. The man grinned and shook his head. "The name's Jonathan. Casey is out of commission. She got fired from the job. I'm taking her place," Jonathan replied. He turned the Gundam so he was facing Heero. "See these cannons? These have enough power to send a beam to Earth. Once it hits the core, it's over."

Heero looked at the man with no expression on his face. "I'll stop you before you even have the chance to charge them up."

Jonathan's grin widened. "Then come at me!" He flew toward Wing Zero after putting the cannons away. He unleashed the energy axe and took a swing. Heero easily dodged it.

"You have no chance in winning," Heero said matter-of-factly. "Turn yourself in."

"Like hell I will!" Jonathan yelled and took another swing, this time hitting his mark. He grinned until he saw that there wasn't much damage. He gritted his teeth. "Fuck you all! Watch as I blow up that pathetic planet and all its inhabitants!" After tossing the energy axe to the side, he brought the cannons back out. Hot, yellow energy gathered at the ends of each cannon. Jonathan watched as the energy bar rose to one hundred. "For the colonies!"

Heero took his beam saber and jabbed it into the chest of the Inferno Rose. The energy dissipated at the ends of the cannons. Sparks flew from where the hit was done. Heero removed the saber and flew away from his target as it exploded into dust. "He was weak. There was no way he could stand a chance against the Wing Zero," Heero commented to himself. He returned his attention to his original destination and headed there.

* * *

Owen cursed and punched the wall. "Weaklings! All of them! Can't anyone do anything right?!"

"What's wrong, Owen? Having issues with your plan of mass destruction?" Relena asked as she entered the office with Lista and Theresa. "Admit it, it's over. You have been defeated."

Owen smirked and took out a gun. He pointed it at Theresa. Lista stepped in front Theresa, her own gun aimed at Owen. "Drop your weapon or else you both die. Casey failed me, so there is no reason to keep her mother alive."

"Your plan just failed. Just give it up. Justice will always prevail, and you will go down with your ship eventually," Relena stated, not moving once from her spot.

Owen scowled as he put pressure on the trigger. A banging noise could be heard, and a sharp pain coursed through his body from his shoulder blade. Owen dropped the gun and looked behind Relena. Duo stood at the entrance to the room, gun in hand.

"Duo!" Lista exclaimed.

"I didn't want to kill him. Not yet, at least," Duo said, his face hard. "Your reign is over, Owen. No one else will get hurt because of you."

Owen just scowled as he tried to hold his injury. Blood was dripping from his arm while forming a crimson puddle on the floor. Lista took Owen by the shirt collar and held him against the wall, gun pointed in his direction.

"Thank God," Theresa said with relief. "What about Casey? Is she all right?"

"She's with a friend of mine," Duo replied. "She passed out during our battle."

Theresa's face still showed signs of worry. "She's in good hands," Relena said reassuringly. The older woman smiled weakly at her. Relena looked at the entrance to the room in shock. Heero was standing there.

"Sorry I'm late. There was a Gundam trying to destroy the Earth. I took care of it," Heero explained.

"Wait… who was the pilot?" Duo asked in confusion.

"The man known as Jonathan," Heero replied.

Duo looked at the floor. "So that son of a bitch got into that Gundam and tried to carry out the mission." He shook his head. At least now Casey could live in somewhat peace knowing that he was gone for good.

"We still have mobile suits down on Earth," Lista mentioned. "Along with Wufei and Trowa."

Owen passed out from the pain and slid down the wall. Relena looked at him in disgust. "I will make an announcement. I'm sure all of this will cease."

"He was just another mad man who was power hungry and looking for revenge," Theresa said softly.

"Yes, but that is why we are here. To stand up against them and to preserve the peace," Relena said as she looked at Heero, who only nodded his head.

"I guess the Gundams weren't really needed after all," Lista said.

"I don't know about all that. In some way, they did come in handy," Duo shrugged. He looked at the older man one last time in disgust. "I better go to Casey before she wakes up. I'm sure she'll be glad to know that all of this is over." He nodded to Relena and Heero. He smiled at Lista before making his exit.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Relena stood at the podium in front of a huge crowd. She straightened up and took the microphone into her hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to inform you all that Owen has been caught and is now in captivity. His reign has ended," she announced to the room. Her announcement was broadcasted all over the world and the colonies. In London, the men who were piloting the Andromeda and Cygnus dolls stepped down.

Wufei watched as the men got rounded up like cattle. "How annoying," he remarked. "At least this time it wasn't as bad as the last war, just some psychotic man looking for trouble."

Trowa smiled and agreed with his comrade. He looked up at Heavyarms. He did go through a lot of ammunition, though. The oncoming suits that he fought did put up a good fight. "What should we do with the Gundams?"

"You can always leave them with the Preventers," Sally suggested. "Just in case something else arises."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Trowa agreed. "We will be prepared for any disruption." Wufei merely shrugged, giving his approval.

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._ The sound of beeping was all that Casey heard as she walked the dark room once more. It felt different for some reason. The darkness didn't frighten her as it did in the past. She kept on walking until she got to what she was looking for. The giant shadowed figure stood before her, not moving an inch. She stopped in front of it and placed a hand on its leg. The figure disintegrated into dust. Images of her father flashed by her, along with images of Alfred, her friends, and Duo. The images all got together and formed a glowing yellow sphere. It glowed brightly as Casey walked up to it. She placed the sphere between her hands; it was warm to the touch. The sphere absorbed into her hands, making the darkness that once ruled the room disappear. The beeping got louder as light shone down from up above.

Her brows furrowed as she opened her eyes. The overhead lights were blinding. Where was she? She looked around and saw that she was in a medical facility. The beeping sound that she kept on hearing was from the machine that was checking her heart rate. There was an IV in her right arm that was hooked up to a bag of clear fluids. To her left was Duo, who was sitting in the chair next to her bed. The pilot was sound asleep.

"Ah. I see that you are awake," said a gentle voice. Casey turned her head and saw a woman clad in white scrubs enter the room. "I'm your nurse, Cindy. How are you feeling?" She poured a glass of water for Casey and helped her drink it.

"My head is pounding," Casey answered. Her voice sounded rough from the lack of use.

Cindy walked over and checked her vitals. "That's to be expected. Whatever you used, the side effects are still lingering. I'll give you something for the pain," she explained.

Casey nodded, figuring that was the case. "Can I take a shower and freshen up?" she asked. Cindy saw no problem with that and helped her out of the bed. Her legs were shaking once they hit the floor. How long was she out for? The woman directed her to the washroom that was a little bit down the hall.

She let out a sigh as the warm water hit her body. She scrubbed her body clean with the soap that was provided. It was as if she was washing away the remains of the war. She leaned up against the tile wall and looked up at the ceiling. Flashbacks of what had happened came up. She remembered Jonathan and what he had done to her. She wrapped her arms around her body and squatted down. She remembered seeing Quatre's face for a moment before everything went dark again. Was the war over? She turned the knob to the shower and turned off the water. After drying herself with a towel, she shakily got her clothes on. Cindy walked her back to the room where Duo was awake and waiting.

He jumped out of his seat and ran over to her. "I woke up and you were gone. I panicked, but the nurse told me that you were in the shower." He nodded to the nurse then took over. He walked her back to the bed and helped her get in. After propping some pillows up so she could sit up, he sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I've showered," Casey replied. She looked down at her hands, somehow still feeling the warmth of the orb from her dream. "Is it over?"

"Yeah. It's finally over," he said as he placed his hand over hers.

Casey closed her eyes, trying to recall what had happened. "I can't remember that much. Everything is blurry…"

Duo sighed. "We fought each other for a bit. That system that you were under became way too powerful that you passed out. Quatre was the one who brought you to the infirmary." A thought struck him, and he looked at her. "Tell me something, did that Jonathan guy do anything to you?" His tone was gentle but firm. He needed to know the truth, and he needed to hear it from her.

The red-head looked at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"That bastard showed up right after you passed out," Duo explained. Bitterness covered his words. "He told me that he had his way with you. The two of us duked it out before I knocked him unconscious." He could feel his blood boiling again just by recalling the moment.

Casey unconsciously squeezed his hand. "He didn't get that far. He did force himself onto me… but that was it. Luckily one of Owen's men interrupted."

Duo let out a sigh of relief. He had a feeling that guy was just taunting him. "I'm glad. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't forgive myself."

Casey let out a small laugh. "You don't have to be so hard on yourself. Besides, it was my decision to go to that mad man. I know you worry… but you don't have to all the time. I can take care of myself." Duo closed his eyes tightly then leaned in closer to her. He looked into those chocolate brown eyes of hers.

"Casey, you are more important to me than life itself," he said, dead serious. "I know I have caused you pain in the past. I also know that I have been really annoying, but I really do care about you. I would do _anything_ just to see you smile." He cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Please believe me when I say that I have fallen… so hard for you, that I wouldn't make you cry on purpose."

A single tear ran down the cheek that his hand was holding. She remembered the time when she told her that he was leaving the school. He didn't tell her why. All she knew at that moment was the fear that she felt of never seeing him again. She told him off and pushed him away, never telling him how she really felt. Even when they met again after Alfred's death, she never said anything to the Gundam pilot. Now he was sitting there, staring right at her, pouring his heart out to her. She still had a hard time trusting words, but she knew how _she_ felt.

"I feel… the same way," she whispered. Duo's eyes widened at the words that came out of her mouth. "I wanted to tell you so many times, but it never happened. All I did was push you away. When you told me that you were leaving the school, it scared me. I was afraid that I might not see you again." Duo didn't say anything but listened to what she had to say. "Then I met Jonathan again and everything came crashing down. All those shields that I had up were crumbling away. He made me recall all the horrible memories that I have tried to repress."

"He's gone," Duo whispered. "He took that Gundam and went to carry out Owen's mission. Heero met up with him in space and destroyed him."

Casey sniffed. The man who played with her heart was finally gone. "What about Owen? What happened with him?"

"I took him down by wounding him in the shoulder. I used the gun that Jonathan had on him. After that he was arrested," Duo explained calmly. "He did pass out afterwards, so it was easy to just cuff the bastard."

"I see. That means that my mother is safe," she said. "She was with Relena."

"That other woman? Yes. She's safe. I don't exactly know where she is now, though."

Casey held her head with her hand. She was getting another headache. She moved her body down the bed and rested her head on the white pillows. Duo tucked her in when a knock came from the door. Quatre peeked into the room.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked. He smiled brightly when he saw that Casey was awake.

"We were just talking," Duo said as he motioned his friend to come in.

"I'm glad to see that you are up," Quatre said to Casey.

The red-head smiled. "Thank you, Quatre, for helping me."

The Arabian pilot shook his head. "No thanks are needed. Friends help each other when in need." A warm feeling filled her at his words.

"Where's Lissy?" Duo wondered.

"Oh. She's down on Earth with the rest of the Preventers. They are rounding up Owen's men and sending them to the station for questioning. The battle on Earth has ceased, and the people are slowly coming out of hiding. Trowa contacted the circus that he's a part of to see if they are okay. Catherine was scolding him."

"Well, I guess he has his hands tied," Duo smiled. "I'm glad things are getting wrapped up."

"Speaking of getting things wrapped up, when I get discharged I would like to head back to the house," Casey said. "I don't know what's going to happen to it, but there are some things that I would like to get."

"Where's your phone?" Duo inquired, remembering that he couldn't get in contact with her.

"Owen took it when I went to him. I don't have one now," she shrugged. "It's no big deal."

"I'll get you one," Quatre insisted. "It's always good to have one with you." Casey protested, but Quatre held up his hand. "Think of it as an apology gift."

"You aren't going to win this one," Duo told her. Casey huffed. Duo placed a kiss on her forehead. "Rest up. We went through a lot just now. I'll check up on you later." Casey leaned up to his ear and whispered three words. Duo's face flushed as he stood up straight and smiled. "Right back at you." Casey grinned as she watched the two men leave the room. One thing was done, but there was still more stuff that needed to be crossed off the list.

* * *

When Amanda met up with Casey, the girl practically threw herself at her best friend. "Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine, really," Casey assured her friend. "Just some bruises here and there."

"What happened? You've been gone for weeks," Amanda said in a worried tone. "No one was saying anything. I was getting worried."

"A lot has happened, yes, but it's something that I can't fully explain," Casey said truthfully. She saw the disappointment on her friend's face. "I'm sorry. Someday I'll be able to tell you everything. Right now is not the time."

"It's okay. I'll be waiting," Amanda smiled sweetly. "I heard that Owen got arrested. I didn't know that he was a crazy person. What's going to happen to the house?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself," Casey said. Owen wasn't her father, so there were no ties to the house. If they sold it, then she would have to look for a place to stay.

Amanda grabbed Casey's hands into hers. "There's a spare bedroom at my house. You can stay there. All I have to do is ask my mom." Casey didn't really have a choice but to accept the invitation.

"I still have to go to the house anyway," Casey said. "Let me know."

"Of course! I'm sure she'll say yes," Amanda smiled. "Until then, let's get some ice cream and talk about more cheerful things."

The red-head nodded at the idea. It felt good feeling like a normal teenager again, even though she knew that she couldn't separate herself from the war.

* * *

After the much-needed girl time with Amanda, Casey and Duo returned to Owen's house. When they entered, it was dark and cold. It didn't seem like the house that she lived in for those few years. She stopped at Owen's office and looked at the blood stain on the carpet. Her heart ached as she remembered finding Alfred lying there. Duo placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Let's get your stuff," he whispered. "You can leave them at my place until Amanda gives you an answer."

She agreed to the suggestion. In all honesty, she didn't want to stay in the house even if it wasn't put on the market. Too many horrible things had happened within those walls. Not to mention the feeling of home was gone. It was just creepy now.

The two of them went up the carpeted steps and into the first bedroom to the right. She turned the light on and went straight to the closet. After pulling out a suitcase and duffle bag, she started packing. Duo helped her empty out some of her drawers, saving the intimate stuff for her to do. He walked over to her desk and saw a necklace lying in a box. It was the same necklace that she wore to the prom.

Casey walked up behind him and saw that he was looking at the piece of jewelry. "Alfred was the one who gave me that necklace. It belonged to his deceased daughter," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "He told me that I was like a daughter to him. Of course, I could never replace her, but it was nice knowing that he viewed me as such."

"He was a good guy," Duo added sadly. It angered him that the good ones were the ones to go, while the rotten ones roamed the world. It wasn't right.

She took the necklace and put it around her neck. After wiping the tears from her eyes, she continued packing. She wanted to get out of the house as soon as possible. Duo turned her around and embraced her tightly. The two just stood there in each other's arms. It was all that he could do for her. He knew that she was hurting, and it broke his heart. After pulling away, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He could feel her shaking as tears ran down her cheeks. She pulled away.

"Thanks, Duo, for being here with me," she sniffed. "Let's get the last of the stuff and leave. I can't stay here any longer."

Duo agreed and helped her with the last bit. He zipped up the suitcase and popped the handle up. With one last look, the two exited the room.

* * *

A month flew by. Amanda's mom had no issue with letting Casey stay at the house. Within a week the red-head was fully moved into her new home. Not only that, but Duo and Casey were able to make their graduation. The school knew about Duo's situation. After they heard that Casey was also involved, they planned for them. There were some tests that they had to take to pass, which they did with flying colors.

A crowd of blue and white were at the school. The men wore blue gowns, while the women wore white. Pictures were being taken, and students were chatting about what was next for them. Amanda hugged her two friends with a smile plastered on her face. Duo took Casey's hand into his and winked at the brunette. Of course, Casey noticed and smacked him with her diploma.

"Some things never change," Duo laughed.

An older woman approached the trio. She had on a simple pair of black dress pants and a very nice V-neck pastel pink blouse. Casey almost didn't recognize her.

"You made it," she said, almost in shock.

Theresa smiled. "I can't miss my daughter's graduation."

"Your mother?" Amanda asked, surprised. Casey introduced the two to each other. She gave a brief explanation on what had happened. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Thank you for looking after my little firecracker," Theresa smiled as she saw her daughter's pout on the nickname.

"Well, this is nice," said a female voice.

Everyone looked over and saw Relena, Heero, Quatre, and Lista.

"You guys made it!" Duo exclaimed. "Lookie here, Lissy! I got me a diploma."

"I'm shocked," Lista grinned.

"What does that mean?" Duo demanded with a pout. "Geez. I get no appreciation around here."

Theresa smiled at the braided pilot then looked at her daughter and her friend. "So, what are your plans?"

"There's this university that's not too far from here that I got accepted into. I'm going to study to become a social worker. I want to help people who are struggling with grief and with family issues," Amanda said.

"You'll be good at it," Casey complemented. She looked at her diploma and then at the rest of the Gundam group. "For me? I can't do much. I don't have experience in fighting with mobile dolls, nor do I want to." She looked at Relena. "But maybe I can do something with security. Maybe someone extra to protect you, Miss Relena."

"Me?" Relena asked. She looked at Heero, who had a neutral expression on his face, but she knew that he was listening.

"You are an icon to the world and to the colonies. You showed me how to be brave and to stand up for what is right. I have a black belt in martial arts that I can use. If I work hard, I'm sure I can become part of the security force."

Relena smiled at Casey's determination. "Owen was part of that force."

"And I'll rebuild what he has destroyed," the red-head smiled confidently.

"I like your spirit. Work hard and then come see me. I'm sure they are looking for new recruits."

Casey nodded. "Before all of this, I didn't really respect my father being in the military. Now I do, and I want to make him proud, along with my mother."

"You have already made me proud," Theresa said. "I'm proud of the woman that you have become." She looked at her watch. "It's time to head home."

Casey looked at her. "Already?"

"I have overstayed my welcome. Besides, I get anxious when I'm around a ton of people. I promise that I'll come visit regularly now that we have reunited after all these years," Theresa explained. Casey sighed and hugged the older woman.

"Just don't be a stranger," Casey said. "I'm just now getting used to having a mom."

"I won't anymore," Theresa whispered. She broke the embrace and waved to everyone.

Duo wrapped an arm around Casey's shoulder. "Why don't we get a bite to eat?" he asked. He placed a kiss on her cheek.

Casey blushed when she noticed that everyone was staring at them. She removed his arm. "Want to join us, Quatre? Lista? Food?"

Quatre smiled when he saw Duo's face drop. "We're fine. Have fun."

Casey pouted and looked at Amanda. "You are coming with us."

Amanda looked at her friend dumbfounded. Casey grabbed her friend's hand and insisted on her joining them for lunch. She still wasn't used to having an actual boyfriend. Amanda looked over at Duo apologetically. The trio waved goodbye to their friends before making their way through the crowd of students. Casey looked at the defeated Duo and Amanda. The barrier that was up for all those years was slowly disappearing. She thought about her last dream, finally realizing what it had meant. It meant that she was free from the past. Of course, it was going to take her some time to open while in public. She wasn't alone anymore, and her future was looking bright for once.


End file.
